


The Other Side of the Story

by KryptoKin



Series: Ultimate DCU Headverse [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Supergirl
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Crime Fighting, Death, F/M, Female Friendship, Female-Centric, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Male-Female Friendship, Original Character(s), Superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-03-01 20:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 100,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2785922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KryptoKin/pseuds/KryptoKin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the companion piece to my Batwoman story Gettin' By. Supergirl is a diplomat representing Kryptonians as well as other aliens, like Wonder Woman is representing Themyscira. On her journey, she meets the elusive Batwoman. Set about ten years or so after the new 52 reboot (with personal changes) and rated for action violence and brief spots of language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> References to rape and molestation do happen in later chapters of this story. Warning for those who struggle with that pain.

“Danvers!” I slip past several of my coworkers and slide into Perry White’s office before he has a chance to yell my name again. “Danvers, where in the name of Elvis’s blue suede shoes have you been?”

“Getting this…” I plop down the story about Wonder Woman and Supergirl leading the peace talks between Prime Minister Zegried Arbaya of Qurac and the newly appointed President Boran of Bialya. He yanks the papers off his desk and looks over them briefly. He smiles slightly and shakes the papers at Jimmy Olson, who has been sitting in one of Perry’s waiting chairs.

“Now _this_ is reporting.” As soon as Perry drops the papers on his desk, Jimmy stands up and takes a look at it.

“Impressive, you even got statements from Supergirl _and_ Wonder Woman.” I don’t miss his little use of infliction on the word ‘and’. Lately, getting a statement from Supergirl has been as easy as eating pie, but getting one from another superhero that usually refuses to give comment is another thing entirely.

“I snuck into their hotel rooms. Both of them were as cooperative as anyone leading a dangerous yet important peace talk can be.”

“There’s bad blood between both countries,” says Perry while thinking out loud and looking out his office window. “This peace talk could turn the damage caused by Queen Bee around.” He turns around and looks at Jimmy and me. “If this talk doesn’t go as planned then a lot more lives will be at stake.” Jimmy and I nod in agreement.

Perry sits down, a sign our chat is over. Jimmy and I leave quickly and make our way to our desks. We’ve been sitting next to each other and working almost exclusively together for the past six years.

“So Danvers, how do you feel about covering the meeting of the century?” I smile and sit on the edge of my desk.

“Hard to describe. Excited would be a good word and nervous. This is the first big story I’ve covered in a while.”

“What about when you and I did that story on those terrorists who blew up the Hall of Justice a few months ago?”

“That was big too but I had you. I’m doing this alone. And to be honest, I’m scared I’m going to mess it up. Silly, huh?” Jimmy smiles softly and leans back in his chair.

“You’ll do fine, Danvers, you always do.” Before I can say anything in reply, Cat Grant pops her head in our little cubicle area.

“Hey you two, how do you feel about accompanying me to a dinner tonight?”

“What like a date?” Jimmy asks.

Cat glares at him. “No, there’s a gala being held in honor of Geoff Jones.”

“Oh, that new billionaire that’s been showing up Lex Luthor these past months. I’m in. How ‘bout you Linda?” I think over it for a moment.

“Sounds good to me, I have a new dress I’ve wanted to wear for a while.”

Cat smiles widely and gives a small squeal. “Great! I will see you two at Luthor Towers at nine. Don’t be late.” Cat pops out as fast as she popped in and back to her office at PGN. The clicking and clacking of her heels fading down the hall is the only thing that follows as she goes.

“So,” starts Jimmy, “you ready to get your groove on tonight?” I roll my eyes and walk around my desk to plop in my chair.

“Please, and miss out on you tripping over your two left feet? Not a chance.”

**X**

I arrive at the 27th floor of Luthor Towers at 8:30 pm. Jimmy called me earlier to say he was going to be late and to tell Cat. As I look around the ballroom at the hundreds of people who are here, I don’t see her.

“You wouldn’t be looking for me, would you?” I smile and turn around to say hi to the voice behind me.

“Bruce…” Bruce Wayne leans down to hug me. As his large arms, hidden underneath his charcoal black suit, envelop me I inwardly smile. I can’t help it. If a man like Bruce Wayne hugged you, you would smile too…or faint.

“You look beautiful,” he says with a slight squeeze of his arms. I pull away from him and fix the lapel I shifted during the hug.

“Thank you. And I’m actually looking for Cat Grant but she isn’t here.”

“Miss Grant has a habit of showing up no more than fifteen minutes before the start of any event.”

“If Lois new this she would have a fit.” Bruce chuckles slightly and puts his hand on the small of my back.

“Do you want anything to drink?” He asks while leading me to the bar.

“Just water.” Bruce looks at me surprised. “What? Oh, just because I can’t get drunk doesn’t mean I should go ahead and drink like a sailor on shore leave. Besides, I’ve found I don’t like the taste of alcohol.”

“How about a glass of champagne?”

“I prefer wine but champagne wouldn’t hurt.” To be honest, I don’t like the taste of champagne. Bruce knows this but somehow I think it makes him feel better to not drink alone.

He grabs two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and we go out onto one of the balconies. Bruce closes the double doors behind us. We’re alone and for Bruce being alone with me means something serious is about to happen. I walk out to the balcony’s railing and turn around to face him while leaning on it.

“What’s on your mind, Bruce Wayne?” He moves to stand next to me and faces the city. We stand there, him and me, in this heavy moment of silence, half-knowing what is on each other’s mind but wishing not to say anything about it. Before long, he takes a breath and puts his drink down.

“Linda, what’s going on with you?”

“What do you mean?” His body stays facing the city but he looks over at me.

“I’ve noticed in the past two months you’ve been getting weaker. Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying. I can tell.” I hate he can do that. That he has gained this ability to know whether or not I’m lying. The only good thing is I can do the same to him.

I turn my body to face him and he does the same. “Look Bruce, I can’t explain why I’ve been feeling more tired than usual. I just can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

I let out a sigh. “There are some things, situations, that I _can’t_ explain and this is one of them. All I can say is you are the Great Detective. You’ll figure it out.” I move to go back to the ballroom but Bruce stops me.

“Kara,” he says like a needed release of a breath. I look at him and see his eyes are glistening. I set my champagne down and reach up to place my hand on his right cheek. And with a small smile, I stand on my tip-toes and kiss him fully on the left cheek. Before he can say another word, I grab my champagne and leave him standing alone on the balcony.

When I walk through the doors, I can see the event is about to begin. Karl Jefferson, the mayor of Metropolis, is on the stage and clearing his throat, ready to begin the event. By the time I’ve made my way over to other side of the ballroom, I’ve spotted Cat with her cameraman Dave and Jimmy at the bar flirting with a young blonde who looks vaguely familiar. I must have been distracted because I slam my shoulder into someone.

“Oh, sorry,” I say. The woman gives me a dirty look but says nothing and moves on. Once I plant myself near the back corner of the ballroom, Jimmy leaves the bar and comes over to stand with me. “I thought you were going to be late?”

“I wrapped up my little hindrance faster than expected.” I take a sip of champagne to keep from rolling my eyes and smiling.

“Did you have a lovely time flirting with that cute blonde?” I ask him with a tilt of my head.

“Why Linda Lee-Danvers, it almost sounds like you’re jealous.” Jimmy and I dated for a long time and even though we ended it, or to put if more accurately _I_ ended it two years ago, every so often I get these small feelings of jealousy. I have no right to feel that way anymore but still.

“I just want to know if you two hit it off.” Jimmy gives me a disbelieving look.

“Her name is Bette Kane, she’s much too hyper for my taste and she’s from Gotham. She’s here with her uncle-”

“Colonel Kane, yes I know all about him. Doesn’t he have a daughter?”

“Yeah, Kate Kane. In fact, I think that’s her over there talking with Bette now.” I look over and see the woman I bumped into earlier.

Small world.


	2. Chapter 2

“I want you to be safe. Now remember to call me-”

“If I need anything, I know Jimmy. Relax.” Jimmy takes a deep breath then gets out of the car to open my door. I squint at the bright sunlight and step into the hot and humid air.

“Is it just me or is it ridiculously hot out?”

“It’s just you.” Jimmy playfully bumps his shoulder into mine and goes to get my bag out of the trunk. He hands me my carry-on then drops the rolling suitcase onto the ground to pull out the handle. He closes the trunk and pulls the suitcase around his car.

“Do you have your ticket?” I pat the bottom pocket of my cargo pants where my wallet and ticket are. “And are you sure you have everything?”

I snap my fingers. “Darn, I forgot my toothbrush.” I smile at Jimmy. He rolls his eyes and pushes my suitcase towards me. Then he places his hand on my shoulder and looks me dead in the eyes.

“If you need anything,” he puts his other hand up to stop me from interrupting, “you call me. I will be on the first flight to Washington.” I lay my hand on his for a moment then take it off of my shoulder only to end up interlocking fingers with him.

“James Olsen, stop worrying. I’ll be fine.” I use my free hand to push my glasses up my nose. “I’ll call you when I get to D.C.” I let go of Jimmy’s hand and grab my suitcase. “See ya ‘round, Olsen.”

“Later, Danvers.” I enter the building and prepare to board my plane to Washington D.C. Before I have the chance to check-in my bags, a large well-dressed man in a black suit stops me.

“Excuse me are you Linda Lee-Danvers?”

“Maybe, what’s it to you?” The man pulls back his jacket and shows me a security badge clipped to his shirt’s breast pocket. His name is Henry Pine.

“I was told to escort you to your plane.”

“I know where my plane is. I don’t need someone to make sure I get there.”

“Your plane has been changed.” He reaches for my bag but I step back to keep him from touching it.

“What do you mean _changed_?” He pulls his hand back from me and hands me a slip of paper he pulled out of the inside pocket of his jacket. I look it over. “Of course.” I shove the paper into my left pocket and motion for the man to take me to the plane. He goes to grab my bag again but I block him. “I’d rather pull my own suitcase, if you don’t mind?” Henry gives me a curt nod then moves.

I don’t know what he’s playing at, having me ride in his private jet than ride public fare. He’s not trying to impress me because his money never has. Putting me on a jet where I’m practically forced to spend a four hour flight with him…oh yeah, he wants to talk. And though I can turn back and fly to D.C. without the use of a plane, I promised Clark I would fly pedestrian for him, so no powers.

Henry leads me outside to a smaller section of the airport where a private jet is waiting. And though there is no crest or official seal on it, I know exactly who owns it. When we get to the stairs I hand Henry my suitcase. He carries it behind me as we walk up the stairs. After I step in the jet, I give Henry the carry-on so he can take all of my bags to the back of the plane.

I look around the inside of the plane and find it to be too flashy compared to what I’ve previously seen. “Odd choice of upholstery.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I turn to find who I’ve been looking for has just stepped into the plane. “Then again, this has always been more of Ollie’s style than mine.”

“It’s good to see you, Bruce.”

“And you, Linda.” After our not-so-smooth talk last week at the gala, Bruce and I have been a little distant. I can feel he wants to give me a hug but it might be best to talk over things before going back to our more comfortable routine. Henry comes out of the back and diverts the awkwardness growing between Bruce and me.

“We’re ready to go, Mister Wayne.”

“Thank you, Henry.” Henry steps past us and closes the hatch door. After he locks it, he disappears through the curtains that cut off the cockpit from the main body. “Let’s sit down.” We sit opposite each other, I on the left side of the plane and Bruce on the right. It feels weird sitting like this but if physics has taught us anything, proximity always increases attraction.

To say Bruce and I have a complicated relationship would be the understatement of the century. It all started off rather innocently; I was the kid cousin of Superman and he was he Dark Knight. We met as Supergirl and Batman and immediately I knew he didn’t like, or to put it more accurately, trust me. Then again the Batman never trusts anyone completely. As the years went by, he and I worked together more often. It started off with a few missions with Batgirl that he would supervise. Then there was the time I saved his life. But the biggest moment of all was when my secret identity was ‘killed’ in an explosion. I relied heavily on Bruce to get me a new identity and to help me start my life over again. I believe that’s where it all started.

Bruce and I don’t say anything until the plane reaches maximum height and is traveling at constant velocity. “Kara, we need to talk.”

“Okay, let’s talk.” Usually I start off with a joke or a quip but Bruce is not in the mood to joke so neither am I. “I take it you want to start where we left off at the party.” Bruce unbuckles and heads for the bar. “Fine, I’ll do most of the talking. I can’t explain my sudden lack of energy. I’ve checked out everything but there’s nothing to explain what is going on.”

To be truthful, I’m only telling him half of what he needs to hear. I know _exactly_ why I’m getting weaker but he can’t know just yet. The next four months are crucial and I can’t risk anything going wrong.

“Why do I feel like you’re leaving something out?”

“If I am, there is a reason and you are going to have to deal with not knowing.” Bruce puts a pause on pouring his drink and puts the bottle down. For a minute, I think he is about to ask me to clarify what I mean but soon after, he picks the bottle up and pours the rest of his scotch.

Finally, he turns and looks me in the eyes. “Will you ever tell me?”

“Someday, Bruce. But I feel by the time I tell you, you will ready know everything.”

**X**

After Bruce and I finish our serious talk, we speak about what I would be doing in Washington. When I tell him about the peace talks, he gives me an odd look. Either he’s skeptical anything can be accomplished or he knows something I don’t. As soon as we touch down in D.C., I call Steve Trevor to tell him I arrived early and was at the airport. He told me he would send an officer to come pick me up. To my surprise, he sent none other than Yeomen Diana Prince.

“Diana!” I yell before jumping into Diana’s arms to give her a big hug.

“Hey Kara,” she whispers in my hair before pulling back and giving me a big smile. “How is my little friend?”

“Di, I’m five-eight. I’m not exactly small.”

“You are to me.” I give her a punch in the arm and move to the back of the car to put my luggage in the trunk.

“Considering you’re six-foot-two, it’s hard for anyone to not be smaller than you.” Even with the large glasses and dumpy clothes, Diana still catches the eyes of several men and women. It’s hard not too with how tall she is and how beautiful she looks. Even the messy bun doesn’t take away from her beauty. It also doesn’t help I’m tall too. Tall people turn heads, can’t help it.

After I close the trunk, Diana and I get in the government issued car and head to hotel she and I are staying at as Wonder Woman and Supergirl, respectively. Apparently, we will be arriving in our hotels tonight. That gives Di and me time to enjoy each other’s company and not have to worry about League business until later.

“Kara, we need to talk.” Then again, I could be wrong.

“Sounds serious, what do you want to talk about?”

“It’s a little hard to explain.” Instead of turning down South St. to The Ritz-Carlton, we turn down another street.

“Di, what’s going on?”

“We’re meeting Kal. He wants to show you something.” Kal is Diana’s and my nickname for Superman, though technically it is his actual name.

“Why does Kal want to see us? And I thought he was with Kon-El taking care of some issues in Bialya.”

“He was but Bruce caught something on the monitors in the Tower and wanted you to see this.” This explains Bruce’s presence in D.C. and why he gave me that odd look on the jet.

After a thirty minute drive, give or take, we arrive at what looks like an office building. It’s actually a cover used by the League to transport members of the JLA to the Watchtower. An abandoned building would call the attention of drug dealers.

Diana and I go in and are immediately greeted by J’onn in his John Jones disguise. If J’onn is down from Watchtower then this is extremely serious. We mentally say hello then let him lead the way to Kal-El. After walking the maze that are the hallways and going down the stairs that feel like they lead to the center of the Earth, we finally reach the door that opens to the actual League equipment.

“This is what you’re really here to see Supergirl,” says J’onn before opening the large metallic door. What I see inside takes my breath away.

“This isn’t possible,” I say while approaching the restoration tank. Superman moves to my side while Batman watches from the dark. Both have already changed into their uniforms. “I thought you checked over the remains of Krypton?”

“I did but I failed to thoroughly examine the remains of our neighboring planets.” I step closer to the tank and put my hand on it. The glass is cold beneath my touch. “Kara Zor-El, meet Kara In-Ze, your cousin.”


	3. Chapter 3

I look over the charts Poison Ivy handed me then give them back to her when I’m done. Kara’s vitals are stable and everything is in working order. In fact, she has a fit bill of health except for the fact of being in a coma.

“It has to be the cryogenic freeze. Something went wrong out in space and the machines were damaged. I’ve seen it before but usually the conclusion is death, not a coma,” I say while looking over the EKG charts The Flash handed me. Most of the people working on Kara In-Ze are people who know my alter-ego, those who don’t weren’t brought into the room until Diana and I changed into our uniforms. It’s not that I don’t trust them to keep it a secret; I just don’t trust they won’t bother me outside of League duty.

“What were the causes of death?” growls out Bruce. I’ve always enjoyed his transformation from carefree Bruce Wayne to world-on-his-shoulders Batman; sadly, I’ve come to know Bruce’s alter-ego is Bruce Wayne while Batman is the real Bruce.

“There’s a small chip in a device placed at the base of the skull where it meets the spine. It’s used to keep the brain active and fed. Think of it as a back-up in case the actual cryo-machine fails. For example, a young soldier was placed in a machine for six months. During a crystal storm, the machine failed but the device we affectionately named ‘The Leech’ was intact. His brain was fully active and in good shape but his body was all but destroyed. It took ten years just for him to get the use of his arms and face back.”

“So it paralyzes them,” comments Diana.

“Yes and no. The cryogenic freeze, at least the kind Krypton was testing, put your body at a temperature that actually freezes the molecules. Not only are you kept from aging but your body is completely still. If the machine malfunctions, your molecules go in a rage to put it mildly. I wasn’t being trained in the field so I’m not completely up to par with the details but don’t think of it as being paralyzed but your cells refusing to react.”

The Flash hands me another chart and finishes my thoughts. “When you’re paralyzed, it’s due to damage to the brain or spine. This sounds as if the muscles themselves are dead, unable to receive signal.”

“Something like that,” I say absent-mindedly. The chart I’m looking through displays Kara’s brains signal. There’s something odd. “Flash…” He stops talking and looks over at me. “How recent are these?”

“I printed them off five minutes after you arrived.”

“See Batman, this is why the League needs iPads.” I know Bruce well enough to know he’s rolling his eyes on the inside. “Let me see what’s going on now.” The Flash zooms over to his station and pulls up the monitoring system tracking Kara’s brain activity. “Do me a favor. Watch that while I talk to Kara. Make sure you keep track of the times when I talk and what the activity is during then.” Flash nods while I walk over to the tank. I place my hand the same place I did earlier and lean my head against the glass; it’s still cool to the touch.

“Kara, Kara can you hear me? It’s me, your cousin Kara Zor-El. Our mothers were sisters.” I look over at Flash and he motions for me to continue. I decide to try a different tactic and I start speaking to her in Kryptonian. “Kara In-Ze, I know you hear my voice. It is I, Kara Zor-El your cousin. I am sorry for what happened to you. I want you to know Kal-El and I will do all in our power to wake you. I promise.”

“Supergirl, you need to see this.” I move from the tank and look at the monitor. “See this area here? This is where you were talking to her in Kryptonian. Do you understand what this means?”

“She can hear me. This is good, if her brain is reacting like this then the The Leech wasn’t completely damaged. But it will take a while for her brain to heal. It’s still early in her recovery so it’s too soon to tell how long it will take.” I walk away from Flash and stand with Diana, Kal-El, and Bruce. “The signs are good now but like I told Flash, it’s still too early to tell.”

“What do we do until then?” asks Diana.

“We wait. The brain is a delicate piece of the body. For now, let’s continue her treatment the way it’s been going.”

“Who said you were getting involved with this?” I hear the faint sound of Bruce under the serious Batman question.

“I figured I’m only here because Kal-El thought it was the right thing to do. Besides, my expertise in this science can be of use to you.”

“You also need to consider the peace talks that are taking place next week,” he says in retort.

“I’ve been playing the two-sided coin for a while, Batman. I think I can handle this.” A ghost of a smile plays on Bruce’s lips but only I catch it.

“Very well.” He’s back in his Batman persona and walks away to speak with Flash.

“Kara. Why don’t you and I go check in? We’ll come back later tonight.” As much as I don’t want to leave, I know Diana is right.

“See you tonight, Superman.” Kal-El hugs me goodbye and I leave with Diana. On our way out, we change into our civvies.

It’s an hour drive to the hotel and Di and I talk mostly about how our days went and what are plans are after the peace talks. “Steve and I are planning our one year dating anniversary. Or he’s planning it and I’m dropping large hints,” says Diana with a wink.

“That’s sweet. I’m glad you two are working out.”

“So am I. What about you and Wally? You two have been dating for seven months now. How are things going?” I sigh and lean my head against the seat.

“Fine, as fine as it’ll ever be.”

“Linda, what’s wrong?” I take my glasses off and rub the bridge of my nose.

“Wally has been great, it’s just…there’s something missing Di. I love him, I know that. But deep in my heart I know Wally and I are not meant to be.”

“How long have you been thinking like this?”

“After he and I celebrated our six month anniversary. He put so much effort into and it was beautiful but I can’t keep stringing him along. He’s a great guy and he did nothing wrong, but there is a woman out there that is willing to go the same direction he is and I’m not her.” Diana turns left at the light.

“When are you planning to tell him?”

“Soon, probably after the peace talk.” Di doesn’t say anything after that. She pulls into the hotel’s parking lot and we get out. After we check in as Yeomen Diana Prince and Daily Planet reporter Linda Lee-Danvers, we leave and come back as Wonder Woman and Supergirl. Immediately, we are swarmed by reporters asking us about what would take place these next few weeks. We answer with the usual “no comment” or “you will know when the talk is over” and a few other lines with a tad more detail to their names.

After we enter our room, the bell boy leaves us alone. I perform a thorough sweep of the room then head to the one we’re staying in as our alter-egos. The UN arranged to have Yeomen Prince stay in the adjoining room so that Wonder Woman and Supergirl would always have someone to speak to for any need. Then there was the perk of me rooming with her which meant the Daily Planet didn’t have to pay for such an expensive room.

I change out of my uniform and relax on the bed. She lies on the bed with me but stays in her Wonder Woman outfit, sans the boots and cape she usually wears when in diplomat mode. I was wearing a traditional white uniform the politicians on Krypton would wear; a long tunic-like design with a golden headband that symbolizes my authority.

It felt odd wearing it the first time around but now I’ve been doing my duty as an alien diplomat for almost three years. It’s more like a second skin to me, similar to my more colorful uniform. Right now, I’m in a plain white t-shirt and black sweatpants; I try to avoid wearing socks whenever I can. I wiggle my toes while lying on the bed and search for a movie to watch. With no one meeting us until 7:00 pm, Di and I have time to kill.

 

**Meanwhile, back in Gotham city…**

Kate Kane plops down on the couch and flips on the television. Her cousin Bette is in the kitchen getting the popcorn ready. While Kate is changing the channels looking for the movie Bette said would “knock her panties off,” she pauses on the news channel. PGN is broadcasting a segment having to do with the peace talks between Qurac and Bialya in Washington D.C.

Footage is being shown of Wonder Woman and Supergirl entering the hotel. They don’t speak much and when they do it’s usually a “no comment” or something similar. Kate remembers meeting Wonder Woman when she was patrolling as Batwoman years ago. It was one of the most intimidating and exhilarating moments of her life. Who wouldn’t want to meet an Amazonian princess from an island of all women?

“She’s grown into quite the woman, hasn’t she?” says Bette while placing the popcorn bowl on the coffee table and sitting down next to her cousin. “Supergirl I mean. She’s grown from this slightly awkward yet powerful teenager to this beautiful and even more powerful woman, don’t you think?” Kate gives Supergirl a once over then changes the channel again in search for the movie.

“I guess.”


	4. Chapter 4

I plop down on the bed and let out a long breath, careful not to blow a hole in the ceiling. Today was the first meeting between Bialya and Qurac. It started at 8:00 am and ended at 6:30 pm, and I know they are only going to get longer. Most of the meeting consisted of Wonder Woman speaking on recovering from the damage caused by Queen Bee and bringing the two nations together. Though the idea is simple and beautiful, to do such a physical and economical feat would take years. Prime Minister Zegried Arbaya and President Boran spoke often on how they could bring the two countries together. There is no doubt anger and distrust boils between the two of them, even with both leaders putting up a friendly façade.

Arbaya had dealt with Queen Bee on many occasions and knows to be cautious about anyone. The only people he does trust are his daughter and a few members of the League; Wonder Woman and Supergirl included. I look up from the bed when I hear the hotel room’s door open and close. Diana leans against the door after she shuts it and closes her eyes while letting out a sigh.

“Tired?” Diana smiles and pushes off of the door. I scoot over to the right to let her lie next to me. “I could order some food.”

“Make it fruit. I’m too tired to eat anything cooked.” I get up and dial the number for room service.

Before speaking I clear my throat and shift my jaw. “Hello, this is Yeoman Diana Prince. I need an assortment of fruit delivered up to room three-hundred and forty-five. Thank you.” I hang up and catch Diana watching me with a smile on her face.

“I love it when you do that. Change your voice.”

“Precise muscle control,” I say using Batman’s voice. Diana laughs then stands up and walks to the bathroom.

“I’m going to take a shower. Call me when the food arrives.” I divert my eyes when Diana starts undressing. When I walk into the adjoining room Diana and I share as our alter-egos, I undress and change into a pair of jeans and a simple white t-shirt.

Sitting on the bed barefoot, I type on my laptop and go over the information from today. I need to filter what I know for the Daily Planet since Linda Lee-Danvers is supposed to know less than Supergirl does. I’m almost done when a knock sounds at the door. I pad across the carpet and open it. The bellboy pushes a cart carrying covered dishes past me and stops in the middle of the room.

“Here you go ma’am, the best fruit the hotel has to offer.” I push my glasses up my nose and give the bellboy a bright smile.

“Thank you, I’ll tell Yeoman Prince you stopped by.” I give the bellboy three dollars, apologize that I don’t have more on me, and close the door behind him just as Diana walks in the room with nothing but a towel on.

“What do we have here?” Diana drops the smaller towel she was using for her hair on the bed and lifts up the covered dishes. An assortment of pineapples, pears, apples, and melons are sliced and arranged in several beautiful arrangements. Diana grabs a pear slice and pops it in her mouth. She moans in appreciation and goes to the closet to get dressed. Tonight, Steve is taking her out on a date. I pick up a piece of pineapple and take a bite out of it when Diana’s towel drops to the floor exposing her bare backside.

“Geez woman, I’m eating here.” Diana gives me a dirty look over her right shoulder then sifts through her closet for something to wear. I pull the cart with me as I lie on the bed and proofread my unfinished article. Suddenly, Diana leans over me, thankfully wearing a bra and panties, and grabs more fruit.

Growing up on Themyscira, Diana was used to being naked around other women. When we first shared a hotel room, she found out very quickly I was not. Let’s just say, I’m not too keen having a naked person strutting around my hotel room. But I’m so used to her walking around in her underwear that it has become the norm for us. Of course, this is when Diana is being her princess self. Diana Prince, member of the US Navy, is much more conservative.

I let out a growl to warn Diana she is blocking my view of the laptop. She pulls back, gives me a wink, and heads back to the closet to _finally_ get dressed. I add a few final touches to the article when my phone goes off.

“Hello?”

_“Hey girl!”_

“Barbara?”

 _“Who else?”_ I pull the phone away from my ear and look at the screen.

“Why is this number blocked?”

_“Complications.”_

“Babs…” I say with suspicion, “what are you up to?” There’s a chuckle on the other line that’s clearly not Barbara. “Barbara, who’s there with you?” I hear a smack and someone yelling ouch.

 _“Just Dick being a dick.”_ There’s a little bit of scuffling on the other end and the sound of the phone being dropped before someone comes back on the line.

 _“Hey Linda,”_ laughs Richard, _“sorry about Barbara, she’s been kind of moody lately.”_ There’s another smack from the other line and Richard yells ouch again. I laugh and grab a piece of apple. Richard starts talking again but I ignore him because Diana is standing at the foot of the bed dressed for her date. She’s wearing the black dress I got for her birthday and the specially designed bracelets Hephaestus made for her when she’s not Wonder Woman. Except for a small amount of eyeliner, Diana has no makeup on and she’s letting her hair down in its natural waves.

“I’ll be back around eleven. Don’t wait up for me.” I give her a nod. She walks around the bed and kisses the top of my head. “Try to take a break from writing and go out tonight.” Diana grabs her goofy glasses and slips them on her face. When Diana leaves the room, I remember Richard is still talking.

_“…so, how about it? Do you want to come out with us tonight and have some fun?”_

“What? Oh, sure. Yeah, I’ll be there.”

 _“Great! See you in Gotham at nine. And don’t forget to wear something nice. Club Royal is a really high-class place.”_ Richard hangs up before I can say anything. I let out a sigh and look down at my unfinished article and the clock. It’s 8:23 pm and I have to meet Barbara and Dick in Gotham at 9:00 pm.

It’s going to be a _long_ night.

 

**Gotham City, 9:32 pm**

Batwoman stands on the roof of a building across from Club Royal. Oracle had told her she was taking the night off to spend some time with Nightwing. Unfortunately, some last minute mission involving the Birds of Prey canceled her fun for the night. This means the only people patrolling Gotham tonight are Batwoman and Robin since Batman is in Washington D.C, and Batgirl and Red Robin are with the Teen Titans. From her spot on the roof, Kate can see Richard Grayson standing outside waiting for someone.

 _“Batwoman, you busy?”_ asks Robin through the intercom. Kate looks down at the street to see a taxi pull up in front of Dick.

“No, what is it?”

 _“The drug deal here at the docks is not about heroine, it’s Venom.”_ A tall brunette in a navy-blue dress gets out of the taxi and kisses Dick on the cheek. From her angle, Kate can’t see her face.

“Thanks for telling me.” As the two walk to the door, Dick whispers something in her ear that makes the brunette giggle. As far as Kate is concerned, the girl is another Gotham City slut trying to get money from Bruce Wayne’s ex-ward.

 _“One more thing, Batwoman. One of the users just injected the Venom and is going Bane on everyone.”_ Kate sighs and steps back from the ledge she’s perched on.

“I’ll be there.” She watches as Dick and his girl walk in the club ready to have a good time and party all night. Kate doesn’t waste time wishing she was out partying too and takes off across the rooftops towards the dock.

It’s going to be a _very_ long night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of the following 4 chapters, 2 were supposed to be uploaded yesterday, but I was having issues with uploading things.

Tonight Gotham is oddly quiet; like the calm before the storm quiet. I left Dick at the club half an hour ago. We enjoyed each other’s company and reminisced about our earlier years when he was still Robin and I was just Superman’s kid cousin. Afterwards, Dick left by taxi while I opted to take a walk before flying back to D.C. I pause for a second and glance through the window of a toy shop. My birthday in earth years was two weeks ago, I turned twenty-seven or was it twenty-eight? Sometimes I lose track.

As I move away from the shop, it doesn’t escape me that I’m being followed. From the sound of their footsteps they are small in stature and light; so either a youth or a woman. On the corner is a Hollywood Diner, similar to the one in Metropolis. I’m not hungry but going in and ordering a hot-chocolate won’t hurt either. I walk in and attract the attention of the chef, a waitress, and a few tired-eyed patrons.

“What can I get for you, honey?” asks the waitress.

“A hot-chocolate and a slice of apple pie, please.” She doesn’t bother to write down my order and walks away to get it. The door to the diner opens behind me and I can smell gun-powder and flowers. I smile as she sits down next to me, leaving her jacket on to keep people from staring at her tattoos. “Evening, Evelyn.”

She smiles and turns the stool so she’s looking directly at me. “I thought you were in D.C?” Straight to business like usual.

“I was, but now I’m here. Not for long if you were wondering.” The waitress, named Darla, gives me my hot-chocolate and apple pie.

“Is there anything I can get you?” she says to Evelyn.

“Just another fork.” The waitress gives Ev and me a look then grabs a fork from under the counter. I smile as Ev digs into the pie while I take a sip from my cocoa. I set my cup down and pick up my fork.

“I thought you were going to be with Dinah and Babs,” I say before taking a bite of pie.

“I was but Dinah and Ivy had things covered.”

“How is Pamela?” She pauses at my use of Poison Ivy’s real name.

“Fine.” She drags the word out slowly while staring at me. “You know, she still hasn’t told us why Batman needed her D.C. Funny how you, Batman, Nightwing, and Poisons Ivy were in Washington at the same time.” Evelyn Crawford, aka Starling, is an old friend of Dinah Lance (Black Canary) and a member of The Birds of Prey. A group that Barbara Gordon (Oracle) leads with her vast knowledge of computers. I’ve only had a few run-ins with her and all as Linda Lee-Danvers. She has no idea I’m Supergirl and with a girl as volatile as Evelyn, I’d like to keep it that way. Also, with me being a reporter and knowing all about their little group she doesn’t exactly trust me either.

“You should know why _I’m_ in DC, Ev. I can’t really tell you about the other three though.”

“Not even Ivy?”

I give her a half-smile and shrug. “Not even Ivy.” Evelyn narrows her eyes at me but doesn’t say anything. I go to take another bite of pie but stop. “Geez Ev! Save me a piece why don’t ya?”

Evelyn tries to hide her smile as she takes the final bite of pie. The jerk. “Ma’am, could we have another pie here for my friend? Apparently she can’t keep up with me,” says Evelyn. I suppress a growl and give her a ‘gentle’ shove before making another request.

“Make it a chocolate mousse this time, please.”

**X**

General Samuel Lane and three of his men escort Wonder Woman and I down a long hallway. The location of the meeting room changes every day; it’s part of General Lane’s tactic of beefing up security. I find this unnecessary but with someone like Queen Bee gunning to kill both leaders I can understand his level of paranoia. We go down three flights of stairs and into a conference room the size of a typical high school classroom. The six of us are the first ones to arrive.

“I thought Prime Minister Arbaya would at least be here before us,” says Diana.

“Due to the lengthy argument that took place yesterday, he and President Boran are timing it so they can arrive at the same time,” clarifies General Lane. Wonder Woman and I give each other looks.

“That doesn’t sound very bright,” says Wonder Woman.

“They may be leaving their rooms at the same time but my men will be taking them different paths. Safety is a key element here. The last thing either of us wants, are two dead leaders on our hands.” General Lane has always had a way with words.

Both Superman and I were surprised when he was picked to be Wonder Woman’s and my ‘secretary’ for these talks. He had worked with Wonder Woman while she arranged cease-fires in Santa Prisca five years ago, but his relationship with Superman has always been tense. Word through the grape-vine says thanks go to Colonel Jacob Kane for my presence and these talks. Apparently, he still appreciates what I did for him a long time ago before I even took the official mantle of Supergirl. Also, I think I remind Lane of his daughter, Lois Lane, which explains a part of his civility towards me.

Half an hour after sitting in the conference room, both political leaders arrive and neither is happy. All of us greet each other formally and prepare to begin the negotiation procedures. But as soon as Wonder Woman invites them to sit down they begin yelling at each other in their native tongue. I’m fluent in Arabic but sometimes they speak too fast, even for me. Wonder Woman gives a loud whistle and grabs control of the room back. She sits down in front of them and the official proceedings begin. Like usual, I keep to my duty of observing and only speaking when need be. Half the time, I feel more like moral support for Wonder Woman than anything else.

As the proceeding go on, I pick up the faint sound of ringing. Before we begin, I always x-ray a room to ensure there are no bombs or any form of weaponry nearby. I even x-rayed the men as they walked in but the only ones carrying guns are General Lane’s men. The sound remains constant so I x-ray the room again and the building but there is no sign of foreign objects anywhere.

So I try something else.

I x-ray _through_ the men to their muscles, organs, and even bone marrow. I’ve scanned both political leaders and General Lane when I go over Lane’s men. Lodged in the stomach of a Captain Karen is a small metallic device, no bigger than a grain of rice. It wouldn’t worry me so much except for one problem; I can’t see through it.

I lean down and whisper in Wonder Woman’s ear, “One of the officers has a bomb in him. We need to pause for one second.” I lock eyes with the princess before she nods her head. I approach the captain and grab his arm gently, as soon as I do the ringing gets louder. Going as fast as I can while holding onto the officer, I speed us out of the building and towards the hospital. I’m almost there when the ringing gets so loud I almost drop the protesting man. Then he stops yelling and goes wide-eyed the exact same time the buzzing stops. I turn around just in time to see part of the hotel blow up.

**X**

Other than a few major injuries no one was killed in the explosion, except for one; the other officer I missed, the one with the liquid bombed wired through his veins. Apparently, the only reason the entire building is safe is thanks to Batman who swooped in at the last second and had the entire building evacuated. Wonder Woman is doing damage control with the firefighters. I want to help too but Batman decided it was better to talk to me in a dark alley than let me help in any matter.

“Kara, what happened?” I avoid eye contact with him and keep my eyes on Diana.

“I messed up.”

“How?” A part of the building collapses and Diana pulls a firefighter out of harm’s way with her lasso.

“I don’t know.” He doesn’t say anything in return but watches Diana do her duty with me. “I can rationalize,” I finally say, “and pretend there was no way I could have known about the liquid bomb but the truth is…” I take a deep breath and finally look Bruce in the eyes. “The truth is I acted impulsively. I didn’t stop and analyze the situation like you and Diana taught me to. Instead, I moved with abandon and almost started up another war.”

When Bruce dons the Batman persona, it’s hard to read his eyes. But sometimes, _sometimes_ a part of Bruce shines through when he looks at me. I never really know what this means, or maybe I do and I’m just scared to identify it. We stand there in silence before he finally says something.

“Oracle and the Birds are planning on helping Detective Sawyer take down a large line of Intergang. They are going to need your help. With the attempt on Boran’s and Arbaya’s lives, the D.O.D plans on putting a pause on the peace talks until further investigating can be done.”

“Will you be conducting the investigation?”

“No, I’m needed elsewhere. While I’m gone, help out Oracle with whatever she needs.”

“What about Diana?”

“I’m going back to Themyscira.” Diana is done helping the firefighters and is walking towards Bruce and me. “I think bringing in Wonder Girl will help with security, also it’s time she starts learning how to be a delegate and not just a warrior.”          

The three of us silently lock eyes. Without saying a word, we understand what needs to be done and where we need to go. And with that, Batman disappears in the dark while Diana and I take on the media who have finally arrived.

 

**Gotham City**

Detective Margaret “Maggie” Sawyer ignores Kate Kane’s third call of the day. It’s already close to midnight and Sawyer has been working her hardest on the newest Intergang related murder. This was the seventh one this week. Because of this, she missed dinner with Kate. The vibrant red-head had made reservations for Le Chate, a very pricey and hard to get into restaurant.

“Yo, Sawyer!” yells the rotund Detective Harvey Bullock. “Commissioner wants to see you.” Maggie looks up from her paper work.

“Why?”

“He didn’t say, he just…” Bullock walks over to Maggie and quietly finishes the sentence in her ear, “wants to see you on the roof.” Maggie leans back from Bullock’s jelly doughnut breath and gives him a curt nod. It doesn’t take long for her to get to the roof of the Gotham Police Department, but when she looks around for Commissioner Gordon she can’t find him.

“He’s not here, Sawyer.” Maggie pulls out her gun and turns on the voice.

“Come out of the dark.”

“Relax, Detective,” says Supergirl walking out of the shadows, “it’s only me.” Maggie stays put for a second but when Supergirl gives her an incredulous look she puts the gun away.

“What’s with the get-up?” Instead of dressed in her normal red and blue uniform or her white delegate uniform, Supergirl is dressed in all black. It’s a one-piece, form-fitting suit that covers her entire body with black boots and no cape. The symbol on her chest is silver and her hair is pulled back from her face in a long braid.

“Let’s just say I’m off the clock.” Maggie doesn’t like the sound of that and rests her hand on her weapon. Supergirl notices. “Take it easy, our favorite man with the pointy ears told me about your Intergang problem. I’m here to help.”

“Oh…wait. Why does Batman think I need help?” Supergirl steps towards the detective until she is only a few feet from her.

“Because this is Intergang. It’s like the hydra. Cut off one head and more grow. You need to find the heart Detective Sawyer, or at least the kidneys.” Supergirl says the last part with a wink but Maggie doesn’t waiver.

“I don’t like this.”

Supergirl shrugs and leans against the bat-signal. “You don’t have to. You just need to know I’m here.” Maggie thinks over what Supergirl said for a moment.

“There have to be restrictions,” she finally says.

“Naturally.”

“One. You only get involved when I need you to. Not when you want to.”

“I can do that.”

“Two. No other costumes. I’m sure Batman and his dysfunctional family is already involved in this but no more.”

“Done.”

“And three, keep wearing this covert costume. You look good in it.” Supergirl laughs.

“No problem. But now I have something you have to abide to.” Maggie’s smile slides off her face but she keeps eye-contact with Supergirl, who is no longer leaning against the bat-signal but back invading Maggie’s personal space. “Just one little thing, whatever information or people I give you, you can’t ask any questions. No how’s, no what’s, and no why’s.” Maggie starts to interrupt Supergirl but is stopped with a hand in her face. “I mean it Sawyer, no questions. This is all under the radar, understand?”

Suddenly, the door to the roof slams opens and Commissioner Gordon along with Detective Bullock and four uniforms rush onto the roof. “Sawyer, are you alright?”

Maggie looks back at the spot where Supergirl was standing but she’s already gone. “I’m fine, sir.” She looks up at the starry sky. “I’m fine with everything.”


	6. Chapter 6

The peace talks resumed and went smoothly until everything was resolved. Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl did a beautiful job of wrapping things up and getting the two world leaders to agree on a lot of issues. But all of us knew it would only last until something new came up. I wrote the article about the talks and sent it into Perry as promised. It made the front page and the feeling I got when I saw my name under the large title was between giddiness and hysterical joy. Jimmy and I had lunch together in celebration and talked about what was next for me. Perry gave me a day off and for Perry White that is generous.

I’m leaving the restaurant when another ginger makes a sudden stop next to me. “Hey, beautiful.” Wally leans over and gives me a chaste kiss on the lips. “How have you been lately? You know, other than getting your article on the front page of the _Daily Plant_.” I smile and he takes my left hand in his right.

“It feels weird. It’s like the first time I saw my name printed with Jimmy’s in my first byline. The excitement, the giddiness.” The smile on Wally’s face falls. He knows that Jimmy and I have a rich and emotional past, and sometimes when I mention him it makes Wally uncomfortable.

“How is James?” James. It’s like his way of making Jimmy another person and _not_ my ex-boyfriend.

“He’s fine. He and I just finished a celebratory lunch.”

Wally lets go of my hand and stops walking with me. “How come _I_ wasn’t invited?”

I inwardly sigh and face him. “Because _Wally_ , you were supposed to be on a mission with the League until tomorrow. I was going to plan a dinner with you and talk about the article then.” To be honest, the last part is a lie. In the past couple of weeks, I had forgotten all about Wally. It’s not a good sign when you completely forget your boyfriend.

“Oh,” he frowns and sighs, “sorry, it’s just I-”

“Keep thinking Jimmy and I are harboring feelings for each other and any minute now we might make-out.” I say this with a slight smile but Wally and I both know that’s one of his fears.

“Look, I know what kind of past you two had. Yeah, so it wasn’t physical, ours isn’t either but still…you guys go back a long time and there is a lot of stuff there, stuff that I can’t compete with.” I heard the resentment in his voice when he mentioned that our relationship isn’t physical; aka, no sex. I’ve found that relationships are a lot less complicated when sex isn’t part of the relationship. Also, there are some emotional issues with it I’m not quite healed from.

Anyhow, I know Wally wants that to be part of our relationship but he’s not my husband. He has no right to touch me like that as I have no right to be with him like that. But no matter how often I tell him this, he grumbles and changes the subject. I never had that problem with Jimmy, not once. I don’t doubt it was on his mind but he never made it an issue. That’s what I miss about being with Jimmy the most, he wasn’t dramatic.

I pop out of this dangerous thought process and finally look Wally in the eyes. It’s time. “Wally, we need to talk.” The look on his face conveys a mixture between fear and anger. He opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted.

“Hey Linda!” yells Jimmy as he runs towards the two of us. “Oh, hey Wally, how are you man?” Wally gives me a look then grunts out a reply. I can see Jimmy knows something is up but he doesn’t say anything.

“Is there something you want, Jimmy?”

A smile breaks out on his face. “I just got a call from Lucy. She’s coming in for a few days and wanted to know if the three of us could get some lunch.”

“Of course! I haven’t seen Lucy in forev-oh...” I trail off when I remember what Diana told me the other day. “I can’t. Tomorrow, Yeomen Prince and I are heading back to Washington. The leaders of Kazakhstan have been called to stand before the UN. I’m not sure what’s going on but Perry wants me there on assignment. Remember?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I guess I’m going to have fun with Lucy all by myself.” Jimmy pouts and kicks at an imaginary rock, but I can see a small curl in the corner of his lips when he drops his head down. “When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll tell Lucy you can’t make it. Man, she really wanted to see you.”

“I want to see her too. Next time Jimmy.”

“Okay, see ya Linda. Nice to see you again, Wally.” Jimmy walks back towards the restaurant where his car is parked.

“I thought you said we were having dinner tomorrow.” I turn to Wally; his arms are crossed and he has a big scowl on his face.

“No, I said I was _planning_ a dinner. I didn’t say _when_.” With that, my cellphone goes off; it’s Bruce Wayne. I flip the phone open to answer while keeping eye-contact with Wally. “Hi Bruce.”

_“Have I caught you at a bad time?”_

“Actually you have.” The line goes silent. I take this moment to speak to Wally.

“This is probably business, how about we meet for dinner tonight? I’ll cook.” A small smile on Wally’s lips shows I’ve appeased him, for now.

“See you tonight, Kara.” He leans forward and gives me a long kiss. Wally and I may be a bad match but he is one heck of a kisser, there’s no denying that. I watch him as he walks into an alley and super-speeds away when he’s sure no one is looking.

_“Is he gone?”_

“Yes.”

_“Good because he’s not going to like what I need you to do tonight.”_

“What do you mean?”

 _“Clark and I were called to business. Barbara needs you in Gotham tonight to speak about Detective Sawyer.”_ AKA: the League needs Superman and Batman while Oracle needs to speak to Supergirl about Intergang.

“I’ll be there.”

_“Good girl.”_

**X**

The old warehouse is owned by Wayne Industries and is nestled between much larger buildings on Gotham’s wharf. Barbara called me and said to dress casual for the meeting, so as Linda Lee-Danvers. I showed up five minutes early and decided to take a nap against one of the many crates Bruce has stuffed in the warehouse.

I feel the softness of sleep seep in when a high-pitched whistle wakes me up. “Darn it Canary that hurt!” Black Canary is a tall blonde who is expertly trained in most martial arts and is blessed with a meta-human gift called the ‘canary cry’. A hyper-sonic scream that can scramble you brains if she let it. She walks out of the dark laughing with Starling coming up behind her.

“Next time, try not to fall asleep while waiting for us.” I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose then give Dinah a massive hug. I go for a firm handshake with Starling; she’s not particularly the hugging type. Neither am I but sometimes a little personal contact is nice to have.

“How are you Starling?” Evelyn shrugs her shoulders. “How about you, Canary?”

Instead of answering me, Dinah hands me a folder. Most of it is preliminary information about Intergang, stuff I already know. It isn’t until page four that I get new information. “Bruno Manheim is in a coma? Who put him there?”

“We’re not sure but it might have something to do with Intergang’s newest assassin. He’s on page six.” I turn to the page and see a small report on a villain named Night Shadow. Apparently, he has the ability to travel within the shadows, literally. “Starling and I are going undercover to see what we can dig up on this Night Shadow as well as get enough intel to shut down as much of Intergang as we can.” Dinah and I both know from personal experience that a large organization like Intergang cannot be shut down completely in one fell swoop.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Find a way to get involved in Detective Sawyer’s investigation any way you can. Rumor has it she is hiding a witness or in the process of transferring one. If we know who this witness is, we might be able to better investigate.” I take the folder and slip it into my bag.

“Sources say Sawyer is having a tough time working with Supergirl, having a reporter nip at her heels won’t put her into a better mood.” Dinah thinks about it for a moment.

“Ivy may be able to help us with that,” she says absent-mindedly.

“There’s no way Sawyer would let Ivy get close enough to her to do something.” A smile spreads across Dinah’s face.

“Who says she needs to convince Sawyer?”

**X**

Barbara and I are strolling down the streets in the upper-east side of Gotham. For a time, we indulge in the comfortable silence between us while observing the people who pass us.

“Bruce and Clark left half an hour ago,” says Barbara, not really looking to get a response from me. “Has Diana called you about what’s going down with Kazakhstan and the U.N?”

“Not really. She texted me on my way to meet you and all she told me was to prepare to stand a lot and be a third-party observer again.”

“How can you be a third-party observer when this is taking place in front of the entire United Nations?” I shrug my shoulders and stop in front of a display window for Vivi’s Chocolates.

“I’m not sure. Diana is being elusive and I don’t particularly like it.”

“What are you going to do?” I look down at Barbara and smile.

“The same thing I do every night, Pinky.” Barbara laughs and we continue down the sidewalk. We move in silence until it’s broken by the chiming of the Gotham Cathedral bells. “Oh my gosh.” I stop mid-stride and almost cause a couple walking behind me to slam into me. “I’m supposed to cook dinner for Wally tonight. He’s coming over in,” I look down at my watch, “one hour. I-I have to go. I have to get back to Metropolis.”

“How are you going to cook dinner for Wally of all people in one hour?”

“This is where super-speed and heat vision come in handy.” I give her a wink then look for a phone booth I can change in.

**X**

The table is set, the wine is chilling, the vegetables are ready, the hot-chocolate for dessert is warming on the stove, the chicken is almost down, and I’m dressed for the night. It is nights like these I’m glad I have super-powers. With everything ready, I check myself for the umpteenth time in the mirror. I’m wearing a simple yellow sundress, which is fine since it’s not officially fall yet, tan sandals, and no glasses. I keep my hair brown for appearances sake.

I walk back in the kitchen to check on the chicken. It’s almost done-

KNOCK! KNOCK!

I don’t need x-ray vision to know that’s Wally at the door. Though usually he knocks four or ten times before I can answer the door at normal speed. Turning off the oven, I pull out the unfinished chicken and set it on the stove top. It only takes a moment for me to use my heat vision and cook the chicken to perfection; a skill I gained while living with my adoptive parents. With everything set, I finally go to the door but when I open it, it’s not Wally.

“Jason?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's an original character introduced this chapter. Her name is spelled Ailish but it is pronounced "eye-lish."

Diana begins the closing statements of the day. I try my hardest to focus on what she is saying but the soft buzzing in my ears is growing louder and giving me a headache. It also doesn’t help the events of three days ago keep playing through my head.

 

**Three days ago…**

“Jason?”

Standing in front of me, decked out in a charcoal suit sans a tie, is Jason Todd. Years ago, he was the second person to earn the mantle of Robin. Things changed not long after Bruce took him on as a boy wonder though. The Joker killed him which tore Bruce apart and changed the way he dealt with his sidekicks from then on. After Talia al Ghul brought him back from the dead, he changed. The moral wall that held him back was gone. I only met him three times during his period as Robin but my encounters with him while donning the role of the Red Hood have been too numerous to count.

“Evenin’, bluebird, may I come in?” Every fiber in my body tells me to say no…

“You have one minute” …but sometimes I don’t listen. He gives me his ‘panty-dropping’ smirk as he likes to call it, and walks in. As I close the door, I see him look my body up and down. I try to ignore his obvious ogling and lead him to the kitchen.

“What’s with the getup?” he asks.

“Dinner with Wally.”

“You still dating that loser?”

“He’s not a loser, Jason.”

“He is compared to you.” I can feel his eyes on me as I grab a root beer out of the fridge and hand it to him. He won’t tell anyone this, but it’s our favorite soda. In fact, Jason and I have a lot in common, more than people realize.

I sit across from him with my own root beer and take a swig. “What are you doing here, Jay?” He smiles at the use of his nickname then takes a drink before answering.

“Rumor has it you’re getting involved with Intergang.”

“Who told you that?”

“Red needs to pay better attention to where she’s sending her info to.” This is Jason’s way of telling me he hacked into the feed Barbara’s uses as Oracle.

“I see, and what’s it to you?” The smile on his face curls down into a frown. It’s moments like these he looks the most like Bruce, but I know saying that might earn me a Kryptonite blade to the stomach.

“You need to be careful, Kara. Arsenal and I did a job a few weeks ago and had a run-in with their guy Night Shadow. I was fine but Roy didn’t do too well.”

“I already know about Night Shadow. Anything new you want to add?” Jason sets his bottle down and moves at a speed that rivals Wally.

His lips smash into mine in a fierce kiss; it’s not sweet or romantic but a kiss of desperation. As he holds me in place with nothing but his hand, which is tangled in my hair at the back of my head, the thought he might have hurt himself while slamming his mouth into mine crosses my mind. I feel my fingers twitch around my bottle but I will them to stay in place. Jason must have felt me shift because he smiles into the kiss and pulls away.

“If we were still dating that would have been a French kiss.”

I roll my eyes and pull back from him. “M-hm.” He releases a low chuckle and gives me a softer kiss on the nose.

“I’ve missed you, bluebird.”

“I’m not yours to miss, Jay.” He sits down and shrugs.

“Doesn’t matter who you belong to, it’s not going to change the way I feel.”

“And what do you feel, Jason Todd?” This is a dangerous question to ask any Wayne man, from Bruce down to Damien.

“I feel the same as you, a volcano ready to erupt. The only difference is I’m active while you’ve been dormant for years.” Suddenly, my phone buzzes; it’s a text from Wally.

**Sorry babe got called into work. Can’t make it to dinner. Love you. ~ Wally**

I sigh and text ‘I love you’ back. I look up at Jason who is drinking his root beer. Spending time with Jason is like kissing him; everything is fine in that moment but afterwards your brain can’t stop running.

“Jason, are you busy tonight?”

 

**Now**

That night was filled with fun and light-hearted conversation. Both of us avoided the biggest questions that filled our minds and the issues stock-piled with the most tension. Before he left, he gave me one last kiss goodbye. The kiss was bittersweet and only marked the next time I would see him again. I don’t make a habit of letting guys kiss me while dating another but Jason is not the kind of guy who follows the rules.

When I closed the door behind him, I waited for the wave of guilt to wash over me but it never came. All night, I pushed for that sickening, heavy-hearted feeling but I waited and pushed in vain. Jason Todd was the final key that told me it was time to let Wally go. Good girlfriends feel guilty if they kiss other guys. Good girlfriends don’t kiss other guys.

“Kara, are you alright?” I pop out of my thoughts and look Cassie in the eyes. As Wonder Girl, she accompanied Diana and me to the U.N. Diana is grooming her to take on the role of Wonder Woman in case anything happens to her.

“I’m fine, Wonder Girl. I just have a lot on my mind.” Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Diana speaking with the president of some African country. I should know his name but I can’t remember it right now. “When do you think she’ll be done?” Cassie follows my gaze to Diana and shrugs.

“Hard to say. Wonder Woman is patient. She could be talking with him for hours.” I stand up from my chair and walk with Cassie out the back entrance. The buzzing in my head is getting worse.

We have to go up four flights of stairs before reaching the hallway where our private conference room is at. Instead of flying, we move nonchalantly and take each step as if we have all the time in the world. “I’ve been thinking, and I think I know why you’re so distracted.” I give Cassie a slight nod to let her know I’m listening. “It’s Wally. Diana told me you’re thinking of breaking up with him.”

I figured Diana would tell Cassie about Wally and me eventually, they never keep secrets from each other…most of the time. “These three days must have been crazy for you. First, delegating with Diana to make sure this issue with Kazakhstan is worked through. Second, the stress in having to break someone’s heart, and don’t even get me started with Jason-” I wrap my fingers around Cassie’s arm and pull her back.

“Wait, what?” There’s fear in Cassie’s eyes. Fear I haven’t seen in years. I let go of her.

She composes herself and moves on.  “You know, seeing Jason Todd again-”

“How do you know about Jason?”

“He let it slip while talking with Arsenal, who told Green Arrow, who told Canary, who told the Birds, who told-”

“Everyone else and his mother that Jason and I talked three nights ago.”

“I heard it was more than that.” I let out a groan and run a hand over my face.

“Please tell me Wally doesn’t know.”

“Hard to say, he’s on a mission with Superman and Batman.” This doesn’t give me any reassurance. This also reminds me of one reason why Jason and I broke-up, our private life became a chest-puffing game for him. It was one of his many ways to get back at Bruce, though I didn’t know it at the time. But now it’s not Bruce who is getting the full sting, it’s Wally.

“Is everything alright?” Diana is standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at Cassie and me.

“I’m fine, Diana.”

“You don’t look it.” Cassie takes this as her cue to leave.

“Um, I’ll meet you two later.” She walks briskly up the stairs, leaving Diana and me to stare at each other until we hear the door to the fourth floor open and close. Diana is the first to break the silence.

“It’s Jason, isn’t it?” I slump down with a sigh and nod my head.

“Three nights ago, he came over. When I found out Wally wasn’t coming to dinner, I invited him to stay. We only talked but…he kissed me before he left, just like he kissed me at the start of our evening. The worst part is, I could have stopped him but I didn’t. And looking back, I’m not even sure why I let the jerk kiss me.”

“I don’t think you think he’s a jerk.”

“You’re right. He’s an arrogant, murderous butt-wad.” Diana lets out a soft chuckle as she sits down next to me.

“Nicely put.” Diana takes my hand in hers. I rest my head on her shoulder and let out a deep breath as the buzzing in my head calms down to a quiet hum. “Kara, what’s really going on? Batman and I have noticed a change in you, physically and now emotionally. We’re afraid for you.”

“I know, Diana. Batman and I had a talk about my change almost a month ago.”

“Then tell us what’s going on. What are you keeping from us?” I can feel the tears fall but I don’t bother to wipe them away. I want to tell her, oh goodness, how I want to tell her. But I can’t…I can’t risk changing the future.

“Like I told Batman, you’ll figure it out.” Diana’s hands tighten around mine. I close my eyes to keep more tears from falling but it doesn’t do any good. I feel Diana brush a strand of my blonde hair back then wipe away the tears.

“Cassie is waiting for us. We need to prepare for tomorrow.” I don’t say anything. I simply nod and let Diana support me as we stand up.

Wiping the last of the tears away, I smile. “Thank goodness I don’t wear make-up when on the job.” Diana smiles and pulls me into a hug. I melt in the warmth of her until she steps away. The buzzing in my head increases tenfold with the loss of contact.

“Let’s go.” I take a step but collapse to the ground as my legs give out and everything goes black.

**X**

“She hasn’t slept in days.”

“Do you know why?”

“No, but I intend to find out. Have you spoken with J’onn?”

“Not since yesterday.”

“Hmm, what-” KNOCK. KNOCK. “Excuse me, Doctor McCoy.” The sound of footsteps coming towards me follows the opening and closing of a door.

“You can open your eyes now, Kara.” I snuggle deeper in the bed and open my eyes one at a time. Doctor Ailish McCoy is standing at the foot of my bed with a smile on her face and her hands on her hips. “Long time no see.”

“Hey.” Ailish walks around the bed and sits down on my left. “How long have I been out?”

“Two days.”

“Two days! I have to get up-” Ailish places a hand on my shoulder and gently pushes me down.

“You need to rest, Kara. You’ve exhausted yourself to the point where not even the sun can energize you, which is queer considering how you’re one giant solar pack.” I lie down and think over the events of the week.

“Oooh,” I say while running a hand over my face.

“Would you care to share your private thoughts with the class?”

“Not here.” She looks at the door where we can hear Diana talking.

“I understand.” She gets off the bed as Diana walks through the door dressed in a simple Grecian robe and carrying a bowl of strawberries.

“Good, you’re up.” Looking around the room, I finally know where I am, Diana’s bedroom on Themyscira Island.

“What time is it?” Ailish looks at her watch and frowns.

“Well, according to Eastern time five forty-eight but I’m not sure what it is here.”

“It’s late,” says Diana while handing me a strawberry. I take it from her and eat slowly.

“What’s been going on at the U.N.?” Diana sits on the bed with her legs stretched out and her back against the headboard.

“After you collapsed, J’onn took you to the Watchtower to scan you in case of Kryptonite poisoning but he said there was nothing wrong with you. All you needed was a good amount of rest.” J’onn is one of the few members of the League who knows what I’m hiding. He needed to know in case an incident like this took place. “I continued for another day until I could bring you here. Currently, J’onn is taking my place as delegate with Cassie.”

“When you say he’s ‘taking your place,’ you mean…”

“He is literally taking my place in name _and_ shape.” When I finish the strawberry, Diana hands me another one.

“For how long?”

“Three days. Today was day one.” Diana starts running her fingers through my hair then curls the ends around them before doing it again. A breeze from the ocean blows in and the smell of salt and clean air fills the room.

“When you return, will I be going with you?” I eventually ask.

“Depends on what the doctor says.” Ailish is leaning against the doorway leading to Diana’s balcony.

“Physically, she seems fine. But I want to take a walk with her to see how she is doing mentally and emotionally.”

“That’s fine with me,” Diana says in reply before turning to me. “I need to speak with Artemis. We can go for a walk when I get back, okay?” I reach across Diana and grab another strawberry.

“Okay,” I say before popping it in my mouth. She smiles then kisses me on the top of the head before leaving me with the doctor. When we’re sure she is out of ear-shot, I toss the doctor a strawberry.

“What’s the prognosis?” She catches the small fruit and rolls it in her fingers while talking.

“J’onn was able to steer them back on course. A cluster attached themselves to parts of your brain and was working on them.”

“Does he know why?”

“All we can assume is they were reacting to the lack of sleep and stress you were putting yourself through.”

“Funny, I figured that was a reaction to them attaching themselves to my brain.”

“That’s a possibility but we’ll need to speak with Doctor Havens before we can know for sure. Right now, he’s working with your cousin, Kara In-Ze, so he’s a bit preoccupied.”

“What about you-know-who? How is _she_ faring?”

“The last time we checked, her vitals were getting stronger and she was going in and out of consciousness three or four times a day.” Not realizing I had been leaning forward with every sentence from Ailish, I lean back in the comfort of Diana’s blankets and pillows.

“Good, then we’re right on schedule.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also want people to know I started writing this in the early fall of 2012, so there might be a few references to what was going on in the world at that time.


	8. Chapter 8

Diana and I walk hand in hand down the beach. We don’t talk but let the sound of the ocean fill the silence. I haven’t been with her like this in a very long time and realize how much I miss it. I stop at the water’s edge, which causes Diana to get tugged back, and stare at the rolling blue water. “Kara, what’s wrong?”

I take a breath and close my eyes before answering. “Do you ever regret taking on the mantle of Wonder Woman?”       

“No. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t felt lonely at times or overwhelmed with responsibility. On the other-hand, I’ve been training for thousands of years so I know what I need to do.” It’s not the answer I want but it is the one I expect.

“Sometimes I regret becoming Supergirl. A part of me just wants to disappear. Ya know?” Diana squeezes my hand and ducks her head to look me in the eyes.

“Kara, is there something you want to tell me?” Yes.

“No. I only want you to know how I feel.” I can tell from the look in Di’s eyes she knows I’m lying and that hurts her. It’s painful when someone you love and who loves you in return lies to you. We try to rationalize the reason behind the lying but we never find the right answer. Do they not trust me? Are they too ashamed? Are they’re trying to protect me?

“Princess!” Artemis, one of Queen Hippolyta’s top guards, is coming towards us with Dr. McCoy.

“What is it Artemis?” Artemis bows to Diana.

“The queen needs you.” A flash of annoyance marks Diana’s face but she keeps her thoughts in check. Diana is only a princess and thus still under the authority of her mother, the queen.

“Doctor McCoy, is there a reason you are here?” Di asks.

“I spotted Artemis going towards the beach and thought I would let her guide me to it. Your island is still rather foreign to me. Though I have to say, keeping up with Artemis proved to be quite a work-out.” Ailish is of average build and 5’6”, a midget compared to Artemis’s large 6’3” frame. Keeping up with her version of a quick pace would have caused the doctor to practically jog.

Diana gives her a polite smile and me a small bow as she leaves with Artemis. The doctor and I stay in place until the two Amazon’s disappear over a sand bank. “I hate lying to her.” Ailish looks at me with a raised brow but realization comes soon.

“From what you’ve told me, you have absolute reason to.”

“I know that!” I don’t mean to snap and apologize quickly. “I’m sorry, Ailish. I don’t mean to get angry with you. This situation has put me at odds with everyone I care about. And as much as I want to alienate people in order to make it easier on them…”

“That could alter the situation drastically as well as hurt you.” I sigh and nod. “Besides, alienating the ones you love doesn’t push them away. Not if they’re as stubborn as an Amazon, a detective, _and_ a Kryptonian.” I smile and move to walk down the beach with Ailish.

“What do you think should be my next step?”

“Concerning the _now_ or the _future_?”

“The now.”

“Hmm…I suggest you take a break from being Supergirl. Perhaps one of the reasons for your little meltdown was because of the mental stress and physical strain you’ve been putting yourself through these past three months. Try to refrain from using your powers blatantly and only when they come naturally. For now, go home. Be with your family and friends as your alter-ego. You told me you have a job, try to get days off if you can.”

“The last part might be difficult but I’ll see what I can do.” Ailish and I continue along the beach until Artemis comes to retrieve us for dinner.

**X**

I followed Ailish’s advice to the best of my ability. After leaving the island, I went back to work but as Linda Lee-Danvers. It was actually nice to chill out in the hotel room and wait for Diana and Cassie to get back and tell me what happened.

In order to keep people from asking questions, Miss Martian filled in the role of Supergirl. Like I suspected, most of her time was spent sitting and listening. The few times her input was required, she gave answers that were appropriate. I even used a few of them in the article. “Nice to hear from you Danvers, some of us here thought you died or something,” was what Perry White said when I called in to update him on what was happening.

I even spoke to Jimmy for two or three hours about what was happening. “You sound different, Linda. Happier.” He was right. I was happy and enjoying the low level of stress but I knew it wouldn’t last forever. Two days ago proved it.

I was finally back on duty as Supergirl and sitting in my usual place when a high-pitched ringing came out of nowhere. At first, I thought I was having a relapse but then realized it wasn’t coming from me. It was coming from General Snezhana of Kazakhstan. According to Batman, the bomb from the Bialya/Qurac incident was in liquid form while the actual switch was inside the man I whisked away. General Snezhana had the switch lodged in his liver; now it was up to me to find the bomb. I worked quickly, scanning everyone in the room. While doing so, I caught a pair of eyes hiding in the dark. Bruce was there and from the brief moment we shared, I knew he saw the look of worry in my eyes.

The ringing was getting worse, more high-pitched, and that’s when I realized it. Based upon earlier analysis and before, the switch in the general had to be set off on a timer while the bomb is only set off based on distance. With that in mind, I used the digital com-link hidden on my right wrist and sent Bruce the info. Once it was sent, I didn’t need to look up to know Bruce was already gone. In less than five minutes the ringing quieted to a hum and a message from Bruce said all was handled. Suddenly, the humming stopped. Not good.

I tensed up as soon as I saw a glint out of the corner of my eye and reacted without thinking. I stopped a bullet mere inches from General Snezhana’s face. I dropped the bullet on his desk and sped through the window of an upper room to the man with the gun.

“Who are you?!” I growled out. He smiled and drifted out of my hands like mist and into the shadows. I heard yelling in the hall as well as on the main floor behind me, then the door burst opened by the kick of three security guards.

“Supergirl, where is he?”

“In the shadows” was all I could say.

Two days later I arrived in Gotham City while the police investigate what happened. They took my statement from me as Supergirl, after which General Snezhana thanked me for saving his life. Later that night, Bruce and I went out for dinner to discuss what our next step would be. Sadly the dinner was interrupted five minutes into it by Alfred. Apparently, Batman was needed elsewhere.

“How’s Kara?” I asked him while walking out of the restaurant. I checked on Kara In-Ze as soon as I got back to the U.S.

“Stable.”

“But unchanging.” He gave me a kiss on the cheek then got in his car. “Hold on a second, aren’t you going to tell me what happened on your end of the bomb?” He smiled widely at me before he drove off without saying a word. Jerk.

**X**

I arrive fifteen minutes late for my lunch-date with Barbara. She wanted to meet at some coffee shop as soon as she found out I was going to be spending some time in Gotham and I said yes. As I pass by the window I see Barbara sitting at our table. The look she gives me when I walk in the door makes my cringe.

“You’re late, Danvers.”

“Yeah well, Gotham traffic sucks.” Barbara gives me an unsympathetic look and I sit down. A waitress comes over to us and we both order coffee; a latte for Barb and a black coffee for me.

“I thought you hate black coffee.”

“Hate is a strong word. Jimmy got me hooked on the stuff a while back.”

“How is Olsen?”

“Fine, I haven’t spoken to him since the day at the UN but all-in-all, he’s fine.”

“And what about Wally?” I look out the window at the passer-byers and sigh.

“We’re having dinner tomorrow.”

“And?”

“And I’m going to break up with him.” Barbara is surprised by what I say but doesn’t comment.

The waitress comes back with our coffees and I watch her as she goes back to the counter, just in time to catch the eye of Detective Maggie Sawyer. I lean back in my chair and give her a smirk. “Detective.”

Her slight groan of annoyance goes unmissed by me. “Danvers,” she growls before passing me. Barbara reaches across the table and smacks me once the detective is out of sight.

“You are so mean to her.” I laugh and go to take a drink of coffee but get distracted when Barbara waves to someone. My eyes land on a tall red-head on the other side of the coffee shop. The woman seems familiar but I can’t place where I’ve seen her. “Hi Kate fancy meeting you here.”

“Hi Barbara. I was just enjoying some coffee when I noticed you sitting here.”

“Do you normally drink two coffees at the same time?” I ask while putting two containers of cream and three packs of sugar in my cup. Based upon the look Barb is giving me, if she could use her legs should would kick me right now.

“What? Oh no. I was having coffee with a friend of mine but she had to leave.” The only person who left the shop since I arrived was Maggie. Interesting.

“Well, would like to join us?” asks Barbara.

“No, I was about to leave anyway when I saw you.”

“Eh-hem. Babs, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” I look up at Kate and take a sip of my coffee.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Kate Kane, meet Linda Lee-Danvers, an old friend of mine.”

“Old? We hardly qualify as being old Babs.” Barbara makes a face at me and I roll my eyes.

“I meant we’ve been friends for a long time.”

“How did you two meet?” Kate asks. The question is directed at me but Barbara chooses to answer instead.

“At college. I was starting my Master’s when Linda was just a freshman at Metropolis University.” Kate’s attention comes back to me and I can see the wheels turning in her head.

“Metropolis University, that’s a hard college to get in to.”

“It helps to be smart and have family living in Metropolis.”

“Linda’s cousin lives there. He actually works for the Daily Planet, like Linda.” I didn’t expect Barb to start bragging about me. I hide my surprise behind a large swallow of coffee.

“You work for the Daily Planet?” Kate asks. I simply shrug and lean back in my seat.

“It’s not as big a deal as you think. Barb just likes to boast about it.”

“I wouldn’t have to if you did it yourself.” I roll my eyes and lean forward to grab my cup. From the corner of my eye I see Kate watching me. The look she’s giving me reminds me of how Bruce analyzes me when he wants to figure something out.

“You know Kate, Barbara and I did meet at college but it wasn’t at the library or in a class.” Kate pops out of her thoughts. “Barb and I actually met at a fundraising gala. My cousin and his partner were covering the gala for the Daily Planet. His partner thought it would be nice for me to come, so she gave me a press badge and snuck me in. Barbara was there because she was covering the event for one of her classes. We ended up talking about some stupid sculpture and became instant friends. We’ve been practically inseparable ever since.” Barbara smiles at me and I return the favor. Suddenly, my cellphone goes off.

“I’m sorry Babs it’s the office. I’ve got to go. We’ll continue our conversation tonight at dinner.” I stick my hand out at Kate while standing up. She’s caught off guard by the gesture but takes my hand in hers nonetheless. “Nice to meet you, Miss Kane, I hope we meet again. See ya Babs.” I take my bag off the chair and sling it over my shoulder. I pretend to stumble from the weight of it before pushing my chair in. “See ya.”

I walk out the door and down the sidewalk past the window. Once I know I’m out of their eye-line, I stop at a store window and listen in on their conversation. I’m curious to see what Kate Kane has to say about me.

“So Kate,” says Barb. “What do you think of Linda?” There is a brief silence that follows before she answers.

“She’s nice…if you like brunettes.” I laugh then move on from the window. As I stand on the edge of the sidewalk and hail a taxi, I remember where I’ve seen her before. Not only is she Kate Kane, daughter of Colonel Jacob Kane of the US Air Force, but also the woman I bumped into in Metropolis a month ago. I remember her now, though clearly she doesn’t remember me.

 

**Kate Kane’s Apartment**

Kate Kane gets home around 8:58 pm. Her talk with the real-estate agent went well and all of the official papers were signed without any issues. She is now the proud owner of a soon-to-be book store. With another hour left until patrol, she undresses and draws herself a bath. Letting herself sink into the warm water, she reaches over to turn on her CD player. Kate’s muscles begin to unwind as the beautiful voice of Marnie Alton fills the room. Completely unaware of the blonde hero flying overhead and muttering about how Barbara Gordon needs to stop roping her into things.


	9. Chapter 9

Sometimes when the time of night is just right or the weather in Gotham City is quiet, and not the quiet before the storm but the peaceful quiet that signifies a sleeping city, I close my eyes and let this silence wash over me. I like the feeling it brings and wonder if Bruce ever has moments like these. The silence is suddenly broken by Oracle speaking in my ear.

_“How’s it going Supergirl?”_

“Fine. Everything looks and sounds quiet from up here.”

 _“Okay, just be careful. You never know what will hit Gotham on a night like this_.” Sometimes Barbara has these paranoid/pessimistic moments similar to Bruce’s. I’ve always wondered if it’s because they grew up in Gotham. _“Hey Kara, Batwoman is at the Gotham Cathedral. You’ll see her on the roof if I’m not mistaken.”_

“Okay, I’ll be there soon.” This evening, Barbara and I had dinner at her place. It was then she got me to help her out tonight.

 

**Earlier that night at 6:15 pm**

Barbara and I finish our dinner, which was a lovely chicken Parmesan then sit down to watch some television.

“Kara, are you busy tonight?” She’s using my real name, so whatever she wants me to do involves Supergirl.

“Right now I am.”

Barbara gives me a look and restates her question. “I meant afterwards.”

“No, why?”    

“I’m going to need your help tonight.”

“Doing what?” By now, Barbara knows I know she wants to use Supergirl.

“Helping with patrol.”

I hit the mute button on the remote. “Barb, you know I can’t be seen fighting crime. Especially here in Gotham City since everyone thinks I’m in DC.”

“I’m not asking you to be seen. I just need your help with patrol until you go back.”

I sigh then agree to help her. “Okay, but who am I helping? Bruce is with the League, Dick is lending some help to the Teen Titans, and Tim is on a mission with Green Arrow’s new Speedy. The only people left are Damien and Stephanie, unless you’re counting Huntress.”

“No, Huntress is on a mission with the Birds in Bludhaven. Adding to that, Stephanie and Damien are actually busy with tracking down the Mad Hatter and his group.”

“Then who am I helping?” Barbara looks down at her hands and takes in a big breath before letting it out. I try to figure out who else is left.

“It’s not Jason, is it?!”

“No! No. It’s not Jason.”

“Then who-” then it hits me. “Batwoman?”

“Yep.”

“I thought she wasn’t an official part of Batman Incorporated.”

“She officially joined a month ago.”

“Nice.” I think over the situation for a moment and realize I’ve never worked with Batwoman before. I’ve worked with everyone in Batman Inc., including Batwing. I figured by now I would have encountered her at least once but that has never happened. “Okay, I’ll help. When do you need me?”

“I start my tech patrol at eight. You can join me then.”

“What about Batwoman?”

“The others don’t start patrol until ten. I always setup two hours early so Bruce and the rest will be ready when they start patrol.”

“And you decided I should start the same time you do?”

“Yes.” Barbara gives me a wide, cheesy smile then bats her eyelashes at me. She always does this when she wants me to do something I don’t want to do. It doesn’t work on me. I mostly say yes to get her to stop giving me the creepy smile… Perhaps it does work then.

“Fine. Fine. I’ll start at freakin’ eight for ya.” Barbara smiles and leans over to give me a tight hug. She pulls back then shifts into her wheelchair.

“You can drive with me.” She wheels away and I hear her say she’s never carpooled before as she goes around the corner. I laugh then turn off the television. I have the feeling it’s going to be a long night.

 

**Now**

I smile as I look down and watch Batwoman argue with Barbara. If you ever get in an argument with Barbara Gordon, there’s a good chance you won’t win.

 _“Actually I thought about that. So I called in for a little back-up,”_ says Oracle.

“Back-up? I don’t need back-up.”

 _“Yes you do. So I asked someone if they could come help you.”_ I float down until my feet are even with her head.

“Who?”

“Me.” She spins around and almost smacks her face into my boots. She follows my legs up until she reaches my face.

“Hello Batwoman. I hope I didn’t startle you?” I can tell I did but she shakes her head anyway. “That’s good.” I slowly descend until my feet come in contact with the church’s roof. “Oracle called me and said you might need some help tonight.” Just as I mention her, Oracle pops into Batwoman’s ear.

 _“So, what do you think? Is she cool or what?”_ I move to stand next to Batwoman and look over the ledge at the city.

“It’s hard to say. I’ve only just met her.”

_“You’ll like her, Batwoman, trust me. She won’t let you down.”_

“And how can I be sure of that?”

 _“Because she’s never let me down.”_ I feel overwhelming warmth grow in my heart. I don’t deserve the compliment Barbara gives me but I am thankful for it. I also know she knows I can hear what she is saying to Batwoman, who by the way has moved to the other side of the building. As if I can’t hear what she’s saying from there.

“Just because you trust her doesn’t mean I do.”

_“I know, I know. Look, if you don’t trust her that’s fine, but she is going to help you.”_

“Can’t someone else help me with the patrol?” I hear Barbara sigh on the line. This makes me smile as I move past a gargoyle and stand behind Batwoman.

 _“No, and that’s final Batwoman.”_ Barbara cuts the connection which causes Batwoman to sigh and turn around. She’s surprised again to find me only a few feet away from her. Batwoman blatantly gives me a once over. I’m sure she’s a little unsure of what to do with my diplomat uniform. Most of the time when I’m on the news, I’m wearing my traditional red and blue uniform. Finally, she comes to my eyes and stops.

She’s staring at me as if trying to see into my soul. I’m staring back when I get the mischievous idea of seeing who is behind the mask. I know I’m not supposed to do this, but considering I know the identities of most of Batman Inc., I figure adding one more won’t change anything. Using my x-ray vision I look through her mask, partially glad she just joined Batman Inc.; otherwise her mask would be lead-lined. I’m surprised to find Kate Kane is the one staring at me. A part of me is intrigued by this new revelation but another part almost seemed to expect this is the woman behind the mask.

“Is there something you want?” she asks me. I raise an eyebrow at her and shake my head.

“I just thought you should know why you’re stuck with me.”

“And?”

“Batman is on a mission with the League, Nightwing is with the Teen Titans, Red Robin is in Star City with Speedy, and Batgirl and Robin are investigating the Mad Hatter’s escape.”

“And what about in the ‘Super’ family?” I don’t understand why she would ask about the others in the Kryptonian circle but I don’t bother to ask her about it.

“Superman is on a mission for the League as well and Superboy is with Captain Marvel and Miss Martian. Are you satisfied?”

“For now. But aren’t you supposed to be in DC or something?”

“I was, but Wonder Woman was called into the League to handle some issues in Greece and Kazakhstan doesn’t trust Wonder Girl enough to finish the peace talks between them. So with nothing to do, I answered Oracle’s call and came here.” This is only partially true. The news of the attack had to be quieted so I was given the duty as Linda Lee-Danvers to put out a false story. The League also made sure no one told another reporter the real reason for the recess.

Batwoman moves past me and knocks her shoulder into mine as she passes; a stupid thing to do on her part since I’m indestructible and she’s not. I hear her release a small whimper of pain then watch as she sits near the edge of the roof. “So how long are you going to be here helping me?”

I move closer and stand next to her. “As long as I’m needed.” Batwoman stands and peers over the ledge. Part of me wonders if she’s thinking of ditching me. Suddenly, I hear an alarm go off across town.

“So, what-” I don’t let her finish the sentence as I zoom off. It only takes a handful seconds for me to apprehend the men and tie them up for the police. According to the rules of me being a diplomat, I cannot be caught doing crime-fighting outside of protecting innocents in my immediate location. If anyone finds out I’m in Gotham City, there can be serious consequences for my actions. Satisfied with a job well-done, I speed back to Batwoman. I have to stop another robbery though before reaching her.

“Sorry, there was a robbery at a jewelry store and another at a department store I had to handle.” Batwoman gives me a curt nod then shoots off her grappling hook. She swings into the air without saying a word and I fly after her. Yeah, tonight is going to be a long night alright.

**X**

I grab my coffee from the barista and talk to Jimmy as I walk out of Beantasm. “I’m actually on my way to meet her.”

_“I can’t believe you got an interview with Detective Maggie Sawyer.”_

“It’s not official Jimmy. She just agreed to meet me for a late breakfast which is surprising since she’s been avoiding me for the longest of time.”

_“Why do you think that is?”_

“Not sure.”

_“What are you going to do if she flakes out on meeting you again?”_

“I’ll think of something. Besides, if it comes down to it there’s always Wally?” Standing in front of me is Wally with a large smile and a bouquet of assorted flowers in his hand.

_“Wally? What does Wally have to do with anything?”_

“Nothing, he’s here and standing in front of me. I’ll um, I’ll call you back Jimmy.”

 _“Okay. Bye.”_ I close my phone and frown at Wally. The last time I saw him, we were fighting and I told him we needed to talk. I’m sure he still remembers.

“Wally, what are you doing here?”

“Can’t a guy say hello to his girlfriend?”

“Not if said guy is supposed to be working with a certain group. Or that he is in a city that neither he nor she lives in.”

“I’m sorry to surprise you like this Linda. I just needed to see you. I know I flaked on dinner and I’m sorry for that.” Knowing what happened before and after dinner, I know I have no right to get mad at him.

“It’s okay. There’s always tonight.” Wally lights up when I say that but I only feel guiltier. He doesn’t know it but I’m planning on breaking up with him tonight. I don’t like that I have to do it but it’s for the good of both of us.

“Where are we having dinner?”

“My place. Gotham Towers, apartment ten-fourteen.” Wally frowns at this. He knows Gotham Towers is where the rich live.

“How did you get an apartment at _Gotham Towers_?” The disdain in his voice is evident. He knows the only way I could be living in such a place is if Bruce is paying for it.

“Bruce bought it for me several years ago.”

“So you live there rent free. Did you choose the apartment or did he?”

“He did.” The more I say the deeper Wally’s scowl gets.

“Of course…” I would tell Wally that living in the apartment beats staying at Bruce’s mansion. But knowing him, he would ask why and the last thing I want to do is tell him what happened the last time I stayed the night at Bruce’s. Besides, living amongst the rich has its perks. They don’t talk to you unless you make money close to the seven figure range and those who do talk love to gossip. And boy, do you find out a lot when they do.

“Look Wally, I have a meeting with Detective Sawyer, can we talk more tonight?” His scowl only lightens slightly when he realizes I’m meeting someone on a professional level. He stands in front of me with his scowl until it softens into a depressed look. He hands me the flowers then gives me a gentle kiss on the lips.

“I’ll see you tonight at seven.” I watch as he walks away at normal speed. It’s not until I go to smell the flowers that I realize I’m crying.

**X**

Maggie Sawyer wanted to meet at a small Chinese place called Madame Woo’s Authentic Chinese Restaurant. As bad as the name is, I can attest that the food is amazing and authentic. Or as authentic as you can make it with what the owner has to work with in the States. The actual owner is a man but his sister plays the role of Madame Woo. I remember the first time I came to the restaurant. Maggie had just finished a nasty kidnapping case where the child was killed before the transaction could take place. She was beating herself up about it when I came to her apartment and told her I was going to take her out.

As far as I knew, I was the only one she was still in contact with from Metropolis. Her ex-partner Turpin only called every so often and don’t even get me started on her ex-girlfriend Toby Raines. Anyway, I brought her to the restaurant and we ordered food and talked about everything but the case. But I knew it was sitting there in the forefront of her mind.

I remember at the end of the dinner when the waitress brought us our check and Maggie asked where the fortune cookie was. Without warning, Madame Woo was standing in front of her and chewing her out; saying that fortune cookies were not authentic and if Maggie wanted one she could go to another hack of a Chinese restaurant. When Madame Woo and the waitress walked away, we both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Later on when I took her home, we sat on the couch and she told me about the case. Mid-way she started crying. I comforted her the best way I could and when she was cried out, I put her to bed. That night, I went on patrol with Batman and we caught the men who killed the child. I was so mad I almost shot a hole through the man’s skull with my heat vision. Thankfully, Bruce and Tim were there to keep me at bay. Of course, that didn’t stop Bruce from being particularly rough with the man when he dropped him off at the police station.

I sit down at Maggie’s and my usual table when the waitress whose real name is Sarah, brings me a note. “She called five minutes before you arrived. Sorry Linda.” I look over the note. It said what I expected, that she was busy and couldn’t make it.

“Of course. She’s always busy.”

“Do you want me to get you anything?”

“No, I’ll just leave. See you around.”

“Bye Linda.” I leave the restaurant mad and a little sadden. This isn’t like Maggie to avoid me. Something is going on.


	10. Chapter 10

After getting dissed by Maggie, I go grocery shopping for my dinner with Wally. Instead of making a new dish, I decide to make the same thing I did for the dinner he missed. Thinking about that night draws my thoughts to Jason Todd. After I got back from Themyscira, I gave Roy Harper a call to see if he knew where Jason was.

Roy Harper was the first sidekick and original Speedy for Green Arrow. While working for the green archer, Roy got addicted to cocaine. Oddly enough, his accountability partner was Waylon Jones or as he is commonly referred to, Killer Croc. Though Batman kept his thoughts to himself, I always admired Waylon for helping Roy get through his use of drugs and thoughts of suicide. Of course, the whole killing people ruined any admiration I had for him, though not completely.

Two years ago, Roy retired from crime-fighting and committing crimes to start his own archery school in Bludhaven; though he sometimes does small jobs with Jason or Starfire when the risk is minimal. He even married an ex-villain named Sid. They have one child named Heather and another on the way. When I asked him about Jason, he told me he hadn’t seen Jason since he came back from his visit to Metropolis.

“Sorry Kara,” he said.

“That’s okay. But I guess I have to thank you for the fact almost everyone knows about Jason and me kissing.”

“What? Look Kara, I never told Waylon or anyone. Jason was the one who told people.” I sighed. I should have known Jason would be the one to tell people about it. “Hey girl, you’re not getting involved with him again, are you?”

“No Roy. I won’t go there again.”

“Good, because I don’t care how hot you think he is,” I laughed at that while he continued speaking, “Jason is bad news for a woman like you.”

Roy was right. Getting involved with Jason, in any way, was and is a bad idea. Besides, I have to tell Wally about the kiss when I break-up with him; it’s only fair.

On my way home and while putting away the groceries, I think over how to begin the conversation that will end my relationship with Wally. I only get as far as how to start the heart-breaking speech. There was no use thinking any further because Wally has the habit of interrupting people while they speak. After I finish putting away the groceries and picking out my outfit for the night, I get a text message from Lucy Lane.

**Hey chica. Give me a call. ~ Luce**

I slide open my phone and dial her number. The phone rings four times before Lucy picks up.

_“Hey Lin! How have you been?”_

“Fine. I’m home right now putting away groceries.”

_“You usually don’t go grocery shopping on weekdays. What’s up?”_

“I’m having dinner tonight with Wally.”

 _“Really? Then how come you don’t sound very excited about that?”_ I didn’t realize my dismay was so evident.

“I’m breaking up with him, Luce. Tonight.” There’s silence on the other end of the line for a short moment before Lucy replies.

_“I see. How long has this been in the works?”_

“Since I first went to Washington.” The line goes silent again as Lucy tries to figure out how long that is.

 _“You’ve been thinking about this for a month?”_ I nod, forgetting Lucy can’t exactly see me. _“Wow. Does he have any idea?”_

“When I returned to Metropolis after the Bialya-slash-Qurac talk, I told him we needed to talk but Jimmy interrupted us. It also didn’t help he found out Jimmy and I finished lunch five minutes before he showed.”

_“Ooh. Jimmy has always been a touchy subject with Wally.”_

“Don’t I know it?” Lucy laughs on the other side of the line and goes to say something but a deep male voice interrupts her. I can hear them talking but don’t bother to use my super-hearing to get the details. Some conversations should be left private.

_“Sorry about that. I’m at work and my boss just caught me.”_

“If you’re at work then why did you ask me to call you?”

 _“I got bored.”_ I laugh then say goodbye to Lucy, promising to call her later tonight. _“I will be awaiting your call then, my dear.”_

“You’re such a dork.”

 _“Only with you.”_ With that, Lucy hangs up. Suddenly, my phone buzzes with another text. I expect it to be Lucy sending me some goofy message but it’s one of my informants. He wants to meet me now. I rarely get called to meet any of my guys during the daytime. Whatever he wants to talk with me about, it has to be important.

I leave the apartment and call a cab. One screeches to a halt and I give him the address of the coffee shop Barbara and I were at yesterday. As he drives down the streets of Gotham, I look out the window at building after building. The traffic is surprisingly clear considering it’s just after lunch time and people should be rushing to get back to work…well, maybe not rushing.

The heat doesn’t affect me but I can tell how hot it is. People are fanning themselves while they walk down the street. When the cabbie turns the corner and drops me off at the café, I notice the area around here is cooler.

I think about what I’m going to say to Wally again when the cab passes Kate Kane coming out of the coffee shop. It was nice meeting her but I enjoyed working with her even more when she was Batwoman. Her methods are similar to Bruce’s except for her liking to make sarcastic comments often. She also has a tendency to not show as much restraint as Bruce does.

During patrol, I would sometimes catch her watching me out of the corner of my eye. I’m not sure if it was because she never worked with a super before (though I’m sure she worked with Wonder Woman) or because she distrusted me. I can’t blame her if it’s the latter. Bruce acted the same way when I first showed up on Earth. He figured I was a strategic tool to be used in bringing about the downfall of Superman. In fact, I was almost that very thing when Darkseid kidnapped Superman, Superboy, and me years ago. Thankfully, Batman, Wonder Woman, Power Girl, and Green Lantern rescued us from Apokolips but not without severe repercussions for me.

I shake the dark thoughts away and turn the corner when I get a text message from my source.

**Change of plans. Meet me at the new place. ~ Drake**

Drake is my main Gotham informant. He is awesome at getting me the information I need. If he wants to change location then whatever he has for me has to be dangerous. Based upon what investigations are on the top of the list for the GCPD, I have a suspicion he wants to talk with me about Intergang. I slip my phone in my pocket when I see a familiar shape standing outside of a closed store.

“Hey Kate!” I don’t know what drives me to call out to her but it’s too late to take it back now. She heard me and is looking at me like she’s trying to place a name to the girl waving at her like an idiot. I cross the street and stand in front of her. “Hi Kate, remember me? We met yesterday at the coffee shop. I’m a friend of Barb’s.”

“I remember you.” She reaches out and shakes my hand.

“Cool, I was walking down the street when I recognized you by your red hair. What are you doing standing outside a closed store?” I hate it when I meet new people as Linda. I always sound like some high school kid or an obnoxiously preppy person.

“I’m waiting for the previous owner to come and give me the keys.”

“Oh, are you opening your own shop?” I shift my bag from one shoulder to the other. I let the weight sway my body a little to keep up the Linda Lee-Danvers facade.

“Yes.” I raise an eyebrow at her lack of words then smile.

“You’re not much of a talker, are you Kate?”

“Not with people I don’t know.” I laugh and stick my hands in my jacket pockets.

“I know what you mean. Sorry, I’m just curious. Which helps me do my job but most people don’t like when I start firing off questions at them.” I see Kate relax, which makes me smile wider. The great thing about the Linda persona is that I’m able to speak with people and make them feel comfortable around me.

“I know what you mean.” I laugh at her use of my words then realize I still need to meet Drake at the warehouse.

“Look I’ve got an interview to go to. It was nice seeing you again Kate.” I turn to walk away when Kate suddenly grabs my arm. I can see she is surprised by her own action as much as I am. Not wanting to stay in this awkward position, I turn so I’m facing her.

“I’m sorry I just wanted to ask you something,” she says.

“Oh, okay.” Her face goes blank and I realize she’s forgotten what she wanted to ask.

“Can I have your number?” The question is blatant and catches me off-guard.

“Sure.” I’ve never had anyone ask me for my number so out of nowhere before. I can see why people don’t do it often, it’s awkward. I pull out a pen from my breast pocket and hold her left hand while I write my number on it. As I hold it, the hand starts to shiver. I’m not sure what to make of it so I push it to the back of my mind for another time.

When I finish writing my number, I look up to see Stephanie Brown (Batgirl) walking towards the two of us from behind Kate. She lifts a finger to her lips so I won’t warn Kate she is sneaking up behind her.

In order to distract Kate, I wink at her and smile. “There you go. I’ll see you around, Kane.” When I walk away, I don’t look back but I do hear Kate let out a small yelp as I turn the corner. The high-pitched squeak makes me smile as I call for another cab to take me to the warehouse.

**X**

The warehouse is a building once owned by Oliver Queen. He sold it to Bruce after Artemis retired from the superhero business. Wally did the same thing so he could be with his then girlfriend. After Barry Allen was killed, he had to leave retirement and take over the mantle and Artemis respected him for that but with her sister Jade, aka Cheshire, coming back into her life, Wally’s and Artemis’s relationship took a toll for the worse. The two broke-up seven years ago but everyone knows she still loves him.

The last time I spoke to Artemis, she was training the new Speedy, Mia Dearden, in Star City. Wanting to be close to the younger archer and her mentor Green Arrow, Artemis sold her Gotham apartment and moved to Star City permanently. Her mother was heartbroken about it but proud her daughter was moving from student to mentor. When I spoke to Oliver five months ago, he informed me Speedy was joining the Teen Titans and Artemis was starting a new job working for Oliver as his head of security. I knew people would find it odd a small blonde woman would be the head of security anywhere but that is what makes Artemis great; she always blows away people’s expectations.

“Hey Lee.” I pop out of my thoughts as Drake comes out of the shadows. For some reason, Bruce thought it would be nice to create a maze from the boxes of unused Wayne Tech in all of his warehouses. I also swear every time I’m in one the maze changes.

“Hey Drake. What you got for me?”

“This.” His gloved hands pull out a blank, white envelope stuffed to the max and hands it to me.

“Should I open it here or later?”

“Here.” I open the flap and pull out the papers in it. They’re a list of bank transactions and tax forms.

“What’s this?” Drake readjusts his Metropolis Shark’s hat, which he only does when he’s irritated, and answers me.

“You know how Colonel Kane holds a fundraiser every year for those homes for battered women and the ones for veterans?”

“Yeah?”

“He’s been lying about where the money is going.” I frown then take a closer look at the paper work. He’s right. Colonel Kane _has_ been lying about where the money has been going.

“Where did you get this?” Drake is gone. I try not to let his disappearing act bother me as I leave the warehouse. After I hail another taxi and get in, I look over more of the papers Drake handed me. According to his information, it looks like I have a very good reason to answer the phone if Katherine Kane calls me.


	11. Chapter 11

Everything is ready. The food, the wine, the dessert, me; nothing could spoil such a beautiful setup, unless of course you’re using it to break up with someone. When I left my meeting with Drake, I went home to get dinner started. I even called Kate Kane and asked her to meet me but she didn’t answer her phone. Mostly, I spent the day cooking and trying hard not to think about what I was going to do tonight. I sigh and sit down in my chair.

“Hold it together, Kara. Your night hasn’t even started yet.” There’s a slow knock at the door and I pray it isn’t Jason Todd again. I look through my peephole, pull back, and look again. It’s not Jason Todd but it’s not Wally West either. I open the door and stare at my neighbor from down the hall.

“Missus Meriwether, what are you doing here?”

“My, aren’t you dressed nice? I need to borrow a cup of sugar.”

“Seriously?”

“Of course seriously! Baking is a serious matter.” I sigh and let Mrs. Meriwether in while I go and get a measuring cup to fill for her. “You’ve decorated, sweetie. May I ask what for?”

“Dinner with my boyfriend,” I say while pulling out a bag of sugar from the cabinet.

“I see. No one makes a dinner this special unless it is for a very good reason…or to get sex.”

“Missus Meriwether!”

“What? Just because I’m in my eighties doesn’t mean my husband can’t excite me in the bedroom anymore.”

“Please stop.” I quickly fill the cup and take it to her.

“Dearie, this is two cups not one.”

“That’s okay. It’ll keep you from coming back.” I push her out the door and to the direction of her apartment.

“Have a good night, Linda. And have fun with your boyfriend,” Mrs. Meriwether says with a wink. I quickly close the door and lean my head against it.

“That conversation will never leave my brain. Ever.” I move away from the door but stop when the knocking starts again. “I told you Missus Meriwether,” I say while turning the knob. “I gave you two cups of sugar for a reason…”

Standing in front of me with a large bouquet of roses in his hand is Wally. “Do I have a reason to be worried?”

“N-no, definitely not.” Wally smiles and leans in to give me a soft kiss on the lips.

“Good, because the only person you should be giving sugar is me.” I roll my eyes and take the flowers away from him. “Wow Linda! It’s beautiful in here.”

“Did you expect disgusting?” I ask from the kitchen.

“No of course not. Then again, this is Gotham Towers.” Uh-oh, I know that tone in his voice. “Has, uh, Bruce Wayne ever visited you here?”

“No.” I can see Wally relax upon my answer but only slightly.

“I guess that makes sense. Also it might cause rumors to fly if he does.” I release a tired breath and put the flowers in a vase I pulled out from under the sink.

“Wally, I don’t want to talk about Bruce Wayne. This dinner is about us.” Wally opens his mouth but takes a pause before replying.

“You’re right. I’m sorry Linda. It’s just…as much as I want to pretend you don’t have a connection to almost every member of Batman Incorporated, I can’t. And I can’t keep pretending it doesn’t bother me that you and Jimmy have so much history.”

“Wally…” I move around the kitchen counter and take Wally’s hands in mine. “Then don’t pretend. You’re right that Bruce has always been there for me, that Dick is as much a friend to me as he is to you, and that Damian Wayne has had a crush on me for years but won’t admit it.”

“What about Jason Todd?” Wally looks at the ground before finishing. “What about the kiss you two shared?” I sigh then let go of Wally’s hands before sitting down on a kitchen stool.

“I can say he caught me by surprise but we both know he shouldn’t have.” I look at Wally to see he’s looking back at me. “But Jason Todd is only a pest. He’s not the problem.”

“I know. I am.” I shoot up from my seat and place a hand on Wally’s right cheek.

“No, Wally you have done _nothing_ wrong. You never did. Yes, you semi-pestering me to take the next physical step bothered me and your jealousy ticked me off at times, but all-in-all it’s not you, it’s me.” Wally lets out a snort and sits down at the dining room table, letting his head fall on his hands.

“Like I haven’t heard that before.”

“Maybe you have, but this time it’s true.” I pull a chair in front of Wally and sit. Suddenly, his head pops up and he looks at me wide-eyed.

“You haven’t worked with Batwing before, have you?”

“Once, when the League had some issues to handle in Africa but I never directly spoke with him.”

“What about Batwoman? I heard she’s a lesbian.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “And?”

“And she’s a redhead. We both know how much you like gingers.” I rub my hand across my face and try not to laugh, though the redhead part is true.

“Wally,” I scoot my seat closer and look him dead in the eye, “I have not, nor am I, nor will I ever be in a lesbian relationship with Batwoman or anyone else.”

“You never know.”

“Wally, stop it.” Wally runs his hand through his hair, which was neatly combed back when he arrived but now has strands sticking up in odd places.

“I’m sorry, Linda. I love you and that makes me jealous sometimes.”

“Wally, I love you too.”

“You’re just not _in_ love with me.” I take Wally’s hands again as I lock eyes with him, even though I feel the need to runaway creep up in me.

“Wally, there are things I love about you. And if anything ever happened to you I would be in pieces, but you are right. I’m not in love with you.” I feel Wally’s hands tighten around mine.

“Then it’s official. We’re over.” This was not how I pictured the break-up to go at all. I thought we would be eating by now and I would ease my way into the dirty deed. I run my fingers through his hair again and rest my hand on his left cheek.

“I’m sorry, Wally. This is not how I pictured this to go, and though it sounds _extremely_ stupid right now, you will find the woman for you. I’m just not her.” Wally leans forward and rests his forehead against mine.

“Then who is?”

“I think you know.” We stay like that for a long time before I lean back from him.“You hungry?”

“Linda, you don’t have to feed me.”

“Uh, hello I am _not_ eating this food by myself.” Wally smiles and leans back in his chair.

“Well, when you put it that way.” I laugh and grab the wine out of the fridge.

“Linda, why did you go out with Jason?”

“I wouldn’t have called us dating or him my ex-boyfriend. It was more like he was a make-out buddy than anything else.”

“Okay, TMI.” I laugh then walk back to the dining room and hand the wine to Wally.

“Sorry.” I pull sit back down in my chair before continuing. “Look, Jason was a distraction for me and that was the problem. I used all the guys I ever dated as distractions. And that’s not fair to you nor was it fair to the others.”

“Was Jimmy a distraction?” I think about my answer carefully before giving it to Wally.

“He became a distraction after Darkseid.” Wally nods to show he understands then pops the wine. I hand him our glasses and he pours the red liquid into them.

“Did Bruce buy this for you?”

“No, I did.”

“Oh, so this is cheap wine.” I push him in the shoulder again but not too hard. The last thing I want to do is clean red wine out of the tablecloth.

“You are such a jerk.” Wally laughs then hands me my wine before corking the bottle.

For the rest of the evening, Wally and I talk about work and what we did that day. I always liked how Wally was fascinated with my job as much as he liked that I was fascinated with his. I think he knows few people that have an understanding of energy and chemicals to the level he does.

You wouldn’t think after breaking up we could sit together and be civil, but it only made me realize how mature the two of us had grown to be. Plus, I don’t think either of us was as emotionally invested in each other as we thought we were.

When dinner comes to an end, the conversations grow more sporadic and trivial. Wally is the first to say it’s time for him to leave and I don’t argue. I walk with him to the door and open it for him. He steps into the hallway but stops and turns back to give me a fierce kiss. I can feel his fingers quiver as he holds me in place and I know it’s not because he wants to move them to my hair. He pulls away then rests his forehead on mine.

“Goodbye Kara,” he whispers before walking away. I watch him until he disappears through the doorway that leads to the stairs. As I stand in the hallway, I feel something hit my dress and realize I’m crying. I don’t bother to wipe the tears away or move into my apartment. No one prepares you for the moment you break someone’s heart. No one tells you that when you do it, your heart breaks too.

I snap out of my reverie and go inside because my cellphone is going off. The number is foreign to me but I answer it anyway. “Hello?”

“Hey Lee. I got something for you.” It’s Drake on the other line.

“What?”

“You saw the news right?” He’s talking about the news report Vicki Vale did on the witness the GCPD had taken into protective custody.

“Yeah?”

“It’s a fake cake, kiddo. They already delivered the pie.” I roll my eyes at Drake’s use of analogies but play along.

“So why ya callin’?”

“Double delivery is going down tonight. Magpie’s life is on the line because your friendly neighborhood Shadow Man will be there.” The ridiculousness of Drake’s speech is pushed aside when I understand he means Night Shadow is preparing to attack tonight. This means Maggie is going to be in danger, which equals me doing a little late-night recon.

“What do you suggest, Drakey?” I hear a sigh on the other side at the use of the nickname and smile.

“Get ready. You have an hour until the job.” With that he hangs up and I speed off to get dressed in something more appropriate for a late-night stakeout.      

**X**

I pay the cabbie and get out five blocks away from the Gotham City Police Department. As soon as he is far enough away, I slip into an alleyway and travel the back way to the alley behind the department. Behind it is a tall building where I know I can get a good view of the transport. When I’m close enough, I climb up the fire escape outside a bakery and get on the roof. The roof of the building behind the GCPD is in view, when I notice a shadow crouched over watching the back alley.

When the form shifts I catch the sight of red hair. I don’t bother repressing the smile on my face at knowing who that is. Deciding to be a bit ornery, I float an inch off the ground and fly over to her. I land maybe four feet behind her and watch her as she adjust the binoculars she’s using.

“You know they already moved him right?” Batwoman flips around and tries to roundhouse kick me. I duck down but when she brings her foot around again, I let myself fall back, which causes my glasses to almost fall off my face. I look at Batwoman and fix my glasses before putting my hand out for help. She doesn’t move.

“You know, you’re not as friendly as Batgirl or Nightwing. You, Batman, and the little Robin are the more stoic, stand there types.” I twist my back then stand up while wiping the dust off my butt and legs.

“Wait, you said they already moved him. Is that true?” I look at her and fix my glasses again.

“Of course it is. The news report done by Vicky Vale was a fake. Well, actually it was true just a few days behind."

“Why?”

“To throw off Intergang.”

“Do you think it worked?” I scan the area around us then catch movement on the neighboring building. I grab Batwoman by the arm and yank her down behind a brick half-wall.

“Shhh” I point to the building next to us. She slowly turns and peeks around the wall to try to see what I saw. When she looks back at me and opens her mouth I stop her by placing a finger on her lips and pointing back to the building. Batwoman pulls back from me then looks again. I pull my notebook out of my bag and scribble a few sentences on it before reaching around her. Batwoman looks over the message before writing her reply and handing the notebook to me.

**Night Shadow, a little redundant don’t you think? Is he human or meta-human?**

I chuckle at her attempt at humor and write my reply again. According to Drake’s text message he sent me on my way to the department, the witness will be moved at exactly 11:30 pm. I shift closer to Batwoman then hand her the notebook again.

Batwoman reads the message then reaches behind her and I take the notebook back. I prepare to stay out of her way and float off the ground to move six feet back. Batwoman looks me but doesn’t say anything as she puts her attention back on Night Shadow. He hasn’t moved since he positioned himself for the kill. From the angle he’s aiming the gun I can tell he’ll be aiming for the driver. Batwoman might not know this so I put the information and a theory of mine on paper and rip it out of the notebook. Batwoman flinches when the balled up paper hits the back of her head and lands at her feet.

She picks up the ball then unravels it when another thought hits me. He has to have seen that Batwoman and I are crouched here. I throw another ball of information at Batwoman and wait to see what she does. She shifts her body and reaches in the space between her back and cape. Just to be irritating I throw another ball at her with a piece of advice on what she can do.

I smile and give her a wink when she looks at me like I’m an irritant. The back doors of the police department suddenly open. Both of us look over the ledge and see two uniformed officers and a young-looking detective, clearly from Metropolis, escort a man with a hood over his face. They move cautiously as they get in the car but not before the detective checks under the car and hood for any explosive devices; he even checks the trunk. Personally, I think it’s too late for that but I guess there is no harm in being extra cautious.

When the four men are in the car, it starts moving forward slowly. Just as the hood aligns with the corner of the dumpster I see Batwoman react. In one swift motion she throws her weapon into the tire. It blows out and causes the car to swerve over to the left. I hear the shot before I see it. For me, everything moves in slow-motion as I watch the bullet hit the car. I have a decision to make; expose myself or go after Night Shadow. I choose the latter. Using my super-speed, I take off and aim for Night Shadow.

I slow down and plant my feet as Night Shadow plows into me when he tries to get away. I grab ahold of him and speed off to a place I know I can interrogate him safely. But as I move he grabs a metal bar and slips out of my hands like mist again. I stop and stand in the alley, confused and desperately trying to find Night Shadow but being unable to track him.

Realizing I’ve left my things back on the roof, I sigh and try not to let my failure get to me as I climb the ladder. When I finally have my backpack in hand, I peek over the ledge at Batwoman trying to help the police. The two uniformed officers are moving the shot detective inside with the “witness.” Maggie Sawyer and Batwoman are talking quietly when Maggie’s eyes narrow and she starts screaming her head off at Batwoman.

I laugh at the mess in front of me. The car slammed into the dumpster, Maggie pitching a fit, Batwoman yelling back, and several officers coming out of the department to see what the heck is going on. When Batwoman fires off her grappling gun, I take that as my cue to leave. But before I go home, I decide to make a little pit-stop at a certain cave to speak with a certain computer-savvy redhead.


	12. Chapter 12

Barbara takes off her glasses and runs a hand through her red hair. “Wow, just wow.”

“I know right? Other than losing Night Shadow and the break-up with Jimmy, this has been a pretty great night.” Barbara’s gives me a sympathetic look and places a hand on my knee.

“How did that go?” I sigh and sit back in my chair.

“Not how I expected but it was okay. No yelling, no throwing things, it was a rather peaceful exit.”

“How do you feel?” I think about it for a moment.

“I’m not sure. Relieved that I’m no longer stringing Jimmy along-”

“But upset that you no longer have him to lean on.”

“Yeah, but I’m okay. It is high-time I let myself be single. After Jimmy there was that thing with Jason, then with Brainiac Five, and then Wally. I haven’t given myself a chance to be single in a while.” I look at Barbara and notice the grossed-out look on her face. “You okay?”

“I still can’t believe you and Jason were an item.”

“I wouldn’t call us an item just make-out buddies.”

“Ew.” I laugh and lightly smack Barbara in the knee.

“Hey, we both know Jason had a huge thing for me way back when he was Robin.”

“Still, it’s weird.”

“I know.” Barbara and I sit in silence while she finishes going over patrol procedures with Batgirl and Robin. I knew I needed some face-time with my best-friend so I changed into my Supergirl uniform and landed in the cave quietly, not that it mattered since Barbara knew I was on my way. You have to hand it to Bruce and his ability to set up great security.

 _“Oracle, we have a problem.”_ Starling’s voice yanks me out of my thoughts.

“What is it Starling?”

 _“Well, I was doing my thing. You know? Lookin’ hot and badass.”_ I roll my eyes but don’t comment. _“Well, a few nasties decide to hit on Canary and me. That was fine, though boring, until one of them decided my butt was a stress toy. And you know how I like a guy to buy me a drink-or-ten before he gets handsy.”_

“I’m well aware of that Starling. Is there anything you want to add to your play-by-play?”

_“Yeah, two of the four guys were Hatter’s men. We thought the Bat-brats might wanna pick ‘em up.”_

“ _Batgirl_ and _Robin_ are busy.” Barbara looks at me then smiles before continuing. “But I could send Supergirl.”

_“I thought she was in DC?”_

“No, she’s here and available.” The line goes silent and I tilt my head and raise an eyebrow at Barbara. She smiles and holds up a finger to signal I need to wait and see what she is up to.

_“You know what? I think Di and I have this covered.”_

“You sure? I’m positive Supergirl would _love_ to come and help.”

 _“Really, it’s okay. The last thing I need is a distraction.”_ Now I get what Barbara is up to. It’s no secret Starling has a girl-crush on me. I actually find it flattering since it tells me Starling has some level of admiration for me. And after what I did five years ago, it’s hard to find those who sincerely are still on my side.

“Explain.”

_“Do I have to? Between the golden locks and tight uniform it’s hard to think straight. No pun intended.”_

I can’t hold in my laughter any longer and let out a few giggles. Evelyn picks up on them. _“What was that? Oracle, is she there?”_ The giggles turn into full-blown laughter and I can’t help it anymore. _“Dammit Oracle, this isn’t funny!”_

“Oh but Starling, I _love_ hearing what you have to say about me,” I say through Barbara’s intercom.

“W-I-I didn’t mean it.” I can just picture Evelyn blushing while trying to redeem herself. It’s easy to get under her skin; almost as easy as when she tries to get under my skin when I’m Linda.

“Look, do you want my help or not little bird?”

 _“No thank you_ baby blue _, Di and I got things covered. Oracle, we’ll meet you back at the tower.”_

“Very well, see you then Starling.” Barbara starts laughing as soon as Evelyn goes offline. “You have to admit, it is fun getting under Ev’s skin.”

“Maybe, though I think I should apologize to her as soon as I can. I know what it feels like to be teased.”

“You can do so after you get back from DC.” Barbara notices my confusion and clarifies. “Wonder Woman called while you were out doing your Linda thing. The League no longer needs her so she’ll be able to go back to the Kazakhstan issue.”

I sigh again and stand up. “When does she need me?”

“She didn’t say but she _did_ say Martian Manhunter needs to see you, though she wouldn’t say why.” I know the reason J’onn needs to see me, it’s about Kara In-Ze.

“That shouldn’t take long. I’ll be back in no time.” I’m about to take off when Barbara stops me.

“You know, with you spending all this time in Gotham people might start speculating things.” I narrow my eyes at her and cross my arms.

“Speculating what?”

“That you’re here for one reason.” I don’t need Barbara to vocalize what she thinks the reason is but I push her to do it anyway.

“And what would that reason be?”

Barbara takes the Bluetooth device out of her ear and rolls her chair back. “I think you mean _who_.”

“Babs, don’t start.”

“Why not? You and Bruce have been dancing around each other for years. Isn’t it time you two define your relationship?”

“No because there is nothing to define.” That’s a lie and Barbara and I know it. Bruce and I _have_ been dancing around the idea of us being more than colleagues, or friends, or whatever the heck we are. But now is not the time for relationship defining.

“Really? Because a hot kiss and a certain someone coming from the future told me otherwise.” A part of me hates that I told Barbara about the kiss Bruce and I shared two years ago. The other part I also hate is how she knows about Jonathan, though that can’t be helped.

“Considering Jonathan never said who his parents are, I think that card is out of the hand.”

“He had Bruce’s eyes, Kara.”

“No, he had brown eyes that could have either been Bruce’s or _-_ ”

“Or whose? Damian’s? Jason’s? Dick’s? They all have brown eyes. Who in the Bat family did you sleep with Kara?” I pull back my left hand quickly but stop. The fear in Barbara’s eyes and the way she reaches for the remote on her belt only reaffirms what I know to be true. Ever since I went nuts five years ago, everyone has been on edge around me. Even my best-friend can’t be close to me without worrying I might go off my rocker.

“Goodnight Oracle. I’ll call you when Manhunter no longer needs me.” Before Barbara can reply, I fly away.

 

**X**

The following morning, I make a stop before going back to DC. It’s the Westfield Cemetery, a ten square acre piece of land seventeen miles outside of Kansas City. I’m sitting at the foot of a familiar grave when I feel her come up behind me.

“I figured you would be out here.”

“How did you know?”

“Channel Eight caught a glimpse of you flying over South Dakota.”

“Careless me.”

“I’d say so.” Lana Lang sits down next to me and places a hand on my shoulder. “How long has it been? Since the funeral?”

 “Three years. Maybe a little more.”

“You know, I’m sure Derrick would love to see you again…so to speak.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” We sit in silence at the foot of my best-friend’s, Mary-Lou Jones, grave. She died of cancer a little more than three years ago. I still cry at night when I think about her. “Lana, are you proud of me?”

“Kara, of course I’m proud of you. How could I not be?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because of what happened after Apokolips or…or…I don’t know.” Lana wraps an arm around me and I rest my head on her left shoulder.

“Oh honey, things have been so hard on you, haven’t they?” I pull away from her and look into her bright-green eyes.

“I’m scared, Lana.” She brushes a strand of my brown hair back and wipes away my tears. I didn’t even realize I was crying.

“Of what?”

“The future.” She stops what she’s doing and looks me in the eyes before pulling me in for a hug.

“You’re not the only one Kara, you really aren’t.”

**X**

I don’t know if it’s because of the recent change in my physiology or because I know what is coming up ahead for me, but I’ve been rather emotional lately. I’m pretty sure I’d rather blame the former for it, though I know the latter is more likely the reason for my meltdowns.

After my arrival in Washington DC, I called private investigator John Jones. We meet behind a Starbucks and walk to the fifth floor of a 10 floor building under construction. J’onn has always maintained a certain level of paranoia. One that almost rivals the level Bruce always carries with him. “Is this really necessary, John?”

“Yes,” he says before handing me a manila folder. “That is the current information regarding Kara.” Inside the folder is a blank paper with a red, hollow square in the upper-right corner. I press my thumb to it and the paper comes to life; displaying the symbol for Watchtower on it. I tap on a folder in the upper-left corner of the screen and files concerning Kara’s welfare come up.

“She’s getting stronger,” I comment while reading.

“Much stronger. She was conscious yesterday.”

“Really?” I can’t help the smile on my face. Kara waking up is an extremely good sign.

“It was only for five-point-two seconds but that is significant.”

“Yes, it is. When can I see her?”

“Not today. Tomorrow. I have a few experiments I would like to try out and I will need your help for them.”

“Of course but what about Kazakhstan?”

“Megan has volunteered to take your place.”

“Why?”

“Clark felt your services would be better suited in the rehabilitation of your cousin.”

“I see. What about our friendly-neighborhood assassin?”

“We have a number of undercover agents keeping watch.”

“Let me guess, Clark didn’t come up with this, Bruce did.”

J’onn does not physically smile but I do see it in his eyes. “You have grown to be intuitive, Linda.”

“No John, Bruce has grown to be predictable.” The smile disappears and a pensive look replaces it.

“Are you saying you know how he thinks?”

“No of course not, but sometimes…sometimes I know what he’s thinking or if it’s his idea. I think it’s because we’ve been working together for so long.”

“Bruce, Clark, and Diana have worked together longer and even they are not quite on the same wavelength as you are with him.”

“Huh. What do you think that means?”

“I am afraid that is a question I cannot answer for you.” The wind blows around the two of us and I watch a screw roll across the floor.

“You know what John? I think you’re right.”

**X**

To distract myself from Kara In-Ze, Bruce, Barbara, and practically anything else that causes any level of anxiety to rise up in me, I decide to go for a late-night flyover of Gotham City after a brief patrol of Metropolis. I’m making my second pass over Gotham First National Bank when a certain redhead running across the roof catches my eye. I descend towards her, making sure she has a good glimpse of me before flying next to her while she runs.

“It’s really not fair,” she says after jumping over an air duct.

“What isn’t?”

“That you can fly.”

“It’s not like I can suppress it, Batwoman. My flying is just as much a part of me as your red hair is to you.” She laughs at this and I know why. To cover up the real length of her hair, she attached a wig to her mask. I think it’s quite ingenious but I know Bruce doesn’t approve of his female partners letting their long hair flow; with the exception of Cassandra Cain who kept her short black hair inside her cowl.

“I thought you were in DC.”

“You’re not the first person to say that.” Batwoman flips onto the roof of another building and stops for a fraction of a second to pull out her grappling gun and take off into the air. I follow right behind her, making sure my flying doesn’t interfere with her trajectory. “Where are you going?” I ask her when she lands. “I’ve scanned Gotham twice now and the only thing I’ve seen is a mugging that Robin stopped, a little roughly might I add.”

“I need to keep in shape.”

“Fine. Train if you must but keep in mind that moving like this will exhaust you before a real baddie shows up.” Batwoman stops abruptly and tilts her head while looking at me.

“Baddie?” she says while crossing her arms.

“Culprit, bad guy, miscreant, perpetrator, I can keep going if you want me to. Heck, I can even change languages.” Batwoman smiles at me.

“You know, TV doesn’t do you justice.” I feign surprise.

“You mean,” I put a hand to my chest, “you mean the media doesn’t always properly portray people? I’m shocked, shocked I say.” Batwoman laughs and I can’t help but smile, that is until I pick up the sound of an alarm going off.

“What do you hear?”

“Alarm, five blocks north-east from here.”

“Bernard’s Fine Jewels.”

I float off the roof and look down at Batwoman. “So, you ready to take down some baddies?” I say with a wink.

“Like you had to ask.” Batwoman shoots off her grappling hook again and once more I follow her to where we’re needed. As we make our way to the store, I can’t help but think I like being around Batwoman. Being with her is easy in some aspects, and I begin to wonder if I’ll like being around her when she’s Kate Kane too.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to give you a heads up. The Oliver Queen in this piece looks more like Justin Hartley with a well-trimmed beard than Stephen Amell. (Also, Arrow had just started airing when this chapter was published/edited.)

Batwoman cringes when I take another piece of glass out of her leg. “How are you doing Batwoman?”

“Fine. You know, I figured someone made from glass would break easier.”

“She’s not made of glass, she controls it.”

“Same difference.” I look over Batwoman’s shoulder and see Shard is still unconscious. “You could have warned me.”

“I did. I said to stay back but you had to be the hero.”

“It’s who I am.” I pull a long piece of glass out of her leg too harshly and she cringes.

“Sorry. And it’s not who you are, it’s what you do.”

“Do you really believe that? Do you really believe Supergirl is what you do and not who you are?”

“Who I am is Kara Zor-El. My powers are a part of me but they do not define who I am. I could have become a villain for all you know.”

“If I remember correctly you almost did.”

I take a pause from what I’m doing and make eye contact with her. “You’re right. I almost lost myself in the dark.”

“See, _you_ almost lost _yourself_ in the dark. That says you’re meant to be in the light, which means you’re a hero not a villain.”

“If I’m following your logic correctly, no, who I am, is a girl from a planet long gone who found a home amongst humans. Even that is only a fraction of me. What a person does or where they’re from does not define them. People are far more complicated than that.”

“Where were you during my teen angst era?”

I laugh. “Lost in space… Anyway, Shard shouldn’t be defined by her powers. She’s not a criminal.”       

“Really, then why did she shoot glass at me?”

“She’s eighteen years old and scared. You can’t blame her for freaking out when you jumped out of the shadows like that.”

“I didn’t jump.”

“Oh, sorry, _slinked_ is a better term.” I can’t fully tell but I think she raises an eyebrow at me. I make no effort to continue the conversation and pull the last piece of glass out of her leg. “Do you have anything in your bat-belt to help with the bleeding?”

“Yeah.” As Batwoman fixes her leg, I go over and check on Shard. Shard’s real name is Elisabeth Clark. Her mother died when she was five and her father died two years later. I met her during a murder investigation as Linda. She took to me quickly and I found myself quite taken with the petite blonde girl too.

Anyway, after Batwoman and I stopped the robbers we started patrolling again. Shard was sneaking into the back entrance of a Hollister when Batwoman spotted her. Once I realized who it was I tried to warn her but Batwoman wouldn’t listen. I let her learn the hard way what Shard could do then intervened after she knocked her out.

“Lisa…Lisa it’s me.” I tap her right cheek and she begins to stir.

“Kara?”

“Hey sleepy-head. You wanna tell me why you were breaking into a Hollister?” I help Shard sit up and lean her against a dumpster.

“I needed new clothes.”

“You know Linda said she would help you with that.”

“I don’t want to owe her anything.”

“Oh Lisa,” I sit next to her and put a hand on her knee, “you know Linda doesn’t care. She wants to help.”

“I know. I just don’t like owing people things.”

“No, you just don’t want to humble yourself for five minutes and ask for help. That darn pride of yours is getting in the way.” Shard rolls her eyes and tries to get up. I catch her when she falls down again. “Looks like Batwoman hit you a little too hard.”

“I don’t blame her. I did stick her leg with the glass from two windows.” We watch Batwoman stand up and support herself with the wall. “Is it just me, or is she not as badass as you would think?”

“First, watch your mouth and second, you do remember how she moved when she took you down, right?” Shard lets out a small growl that makes me smile.

“Don’t remind me.” Batwoman pushes off the wall and starts walking over to us.

“Do you remember where Linda lives in Gotham?” Shard nods. “Good, head there and tell the doorman you’re a friend of Linda’s. He’ll buzz her and she’ll let you up.”

“Is it a good idea to surprise her?”

“You’re the best kind of surprise she could want.” Shard’s face breaks out into a wide grin and we stand together when Batwoman stops in front of us.

“Thank you, Kara. Sorry about the glass, Batwoman. You kind of freaked me out when you slinked out of the shadows like that.” Batwoman doesn’t say anything but I know she’s irritated. I suppress a smile and say goodbye to Shard.

“Is it a good idea to let her go?” Batwoman asks once Shard is gone.

“She’ll be in good hands.”

“May I ask whose hands?”

“A friend.” I can tell Batwoman does not like my answer by the way she purses her lips.

“Are you scared she’ll become a villain?”

“Elisabeth lived a difficult life. She bounced around from foster home to foster home for six years because of her ability. When she finally found a family, they were killed by Mr. Freeze. Since then she’s been wandering the States. I can’t help but feel everything is stacked against her.”

“Sounds like a job for Supergirl.”

“No,” I look down at Batwoman and smile, “not a job, a privilege.” I turn away from her but catch the sight of her mouth curling up slightly from the corner of my eye before taking off into the sky.

**X**

Just as I land on my balcony and start stripping, the doorman buzzes me and asks if I was expecting company in the form of a young woman. I tell him yes and to send her up. I’m in my pajamas when Elisabeth knocks on the door. I check to make sure my hair turned to brunette then open the door after putting my glasses on.

“Hey…mindifIcomein?” I smile and open the door wider for her to come through. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Shard stands awkwardly in the middle of my living room. “Do you want the bed or the couch?”

“C-Couch.”

“I’ll get you some PJs, though I doubt they’ll fit you very well.” Elisabeth shrugs then sits on the couch. After I grab the pajamas and bring them to her she starts changing in the living room. To give her some privacy, I go to the kitchen and grab two apples and an orange. By the time I finish slicing them, I can hear she’s finished changing. “You still like oranges?”

“Not sure. Haven’t had one in over three months.” I set the bowl of fruit on the coffee table and sit across from Elisabeth, who’s sitting in the middle of my couch with her hands folded on her lap.

“Lisa, what’s wrong? You’ve been jumpy ever since you walked in. What’s going on?” She realizes what her hands are doing and reaches for the bowl.

“To be honest, it’s weird being in an apartment like this. I feel like I’m violating it.”

“Why?”

“Because this is so…so not me.” I lean back and watch as Lisa takes a bite out of a slice of apple.

“It’s not me either.”                                                             

“Then why you are livin’ here?”

“Because it beats living in downtown Gotham.”

“But that’s okay for me?”

“That’s not what I meant. No one should have to live in those conditions. _Ever_.” Lisa finishes off the apple slice and grabs another one. “Lisa, why are you here?”

“Kara told me to come,” she says with apple in her mouth.

“Where did you meet Kara?”

“In an alley?”

“What were you doing in an alley?” Lisa mumbles her answer out after shoving a piece of orange in her mouth. “I’m sorry, say that again?”

“I was breaking into a Hollister and she caught me. Well, Batwoman caught me and she was there.”

“Lisa…”

Lisa practically jumps off the couch and points a finger at me. “Don’t you dare judge me, Linda!” She sits again and grabs another piece of fruit. “The last thing I need is you reprimanding me.”

I lean forward and rest my right elbow on my knee and my chin in my hand. “I’m not judging you, Lisa. I want to know why you were there. You know you can come to me, and what about the women’s shelter?”

“You don’t know? It’s closing down.”

Sit up immediately. “What?”

“You heard me. They’re barely staying afloat.”

“How do you know this?”

“I eavesdropped.” If I can keep her on the right track, there’s a good chance she’ll make one heck of a reporter someday.

“What about the money Colonel Kane has been sending?”

“What money? He hasn’t sent them anything in three years.” The information Drake gave me is true. Colonel Kane has been lying about giving to the women’s shelters in Gotham. I feel my temper rise but try my hardest to take a few breaths before getting up from the chair. “Linda, what are you doing?”

“Making a call.” I dial a familiar number and hear four rings before he picks up the phone. “Hey Ollie, are you going to be in Washington tomorrow?... Good, I need to meet with you… Call me when you get there and I’ll tell you then… Afternoon is fine. We’ll talk during lunch… Okay, see you then… No, I haven’t spoken to her in a while. She’s busy with Barbara after-all… Goodnight, Oliver.” I hang up and turn to Lisa.

“Hey kiddo. I’m going to be in Washington D.C tomorrow. There’s food in the fridge and cupboards. And if you need anything, Missus Meriwether is still down the hall.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“Two days. You think you can take care of my apartment for that long?” Lisa spreads out on the couch and winks at me.

“I’ll be the best damn apartment-sitter you’ll ever have.” I lean over the couch and take a piece of apple from the bowl.

“You will be if you watch your mouth.” I kiss the top of her head and she whines and pulls away.

“Eww, Linda cooties.” I throw a chair pillow at her. She catches it and throws it back but I duck out of the way.

“Come on, wild thang. It’s late and you need your beauty rest.” Lisa grabs the bowl and pops off the couch.

“If the amount of sleep equals how beautiful you are,” she picks up the pillow and drops it on the armchair, “then you’re gonna need a few years.” Lisa giggles and runs towards the bedroom.

“Okay, you are _so_ dead.” I grab a pillow and throw it. She squeals right before it smacks her in the kisser.

**X**

I didn’t even realize I was staring into my coffee until my waitress came up to me and asked if I was trying to read the coffee beans. “Ha, no. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure but thank you for asking.”

“You’re welcome.” As she stands there, I finally get a good look at her. Her name is Veronica and she looks old enough to be a student in college. She has auburn hair, sandy-brown eyes, and is maybe 5’2”, give or take. “Hey um,” she looks around at the packed coffee shop then sits across from me, “can I ask you a question?”

“It’s a free country.”

She rolls her eyes. “It depends on your definition of free.”  

“True.” I smile and take a sip of my coffee. “What do you wanna ask?”

“Do you ever feel like an alien in this world?” I don’t know whether to cry or laugh at her question. “I know that’s a totally weird question to ask but I feel like I can ask you this.”

“To be honest, I’ve rarely felt human.”

“Right? It feels like you’re from another planet.”

“You have no idea.”

“How do you make it go away?” I think about the question carefully before answering.

“People. People who you love and who love you in return.” She’s surprised by my answer.

“I like that. People.”

“Veronica!” yells a young man standing at the counter with his arms crossed. She cringes and sighs.

“Looks like you’re needed.”

“Yeah, looks like it.” Veronica stands up and heads to the counter but stops and turns back to me. “If you ever want to talk or whatever, give me a call.” She pulls out a pen and writes her number down on a napkin. “Later.” I try to hide my surprise when she winks at me and goes back to work.

“I swear you get more numbers than Bruce and me combined.” I smile and look over my shoulder at Oliver.

“Can’t help it. It’s the eyes.”

“I think it’s the hair. You got that hot mess thing going for you.” I look down at my boots, jeans, and knit shirt while running my hand through my thick, brunette curls.

“I think I’m more mess than hot.”

“Not according to _Veronica_.”

“Shut. Up.” Oliver laughs then takes his sports coat off and drapes it over the back of his chair.

“I’ll be back.”

“I should hope so.” He smiles then goes to the counter to order. Veronica is there with a look of disappointment on her face. I wink at her and she pretends to be busy in order to hide her blush. Too easy.

Oliver must have noticed because he chastises me when he comes back. “Don’t lead her on.”

“I’m being friendly.”

“Friendly is a smile, not a wink.”

I sigh when I realize he’s right. “Sorry. It’s not fair to do that to her.”

“Especially since you’re not into girls.”

“Point taken.”

Oliver reaches down and fiddles with his briefcase. He hands me an iPad and directs me to a file. “This morning after you called me, I looked into what you told me and you’re right. He’s been neglecting them for three years.”

I swipe through the files. “Looks like he’s kept the money at the same amount but sends it only to the Veterans home.”

“He has to be using someone to cover it up. But I want to know why he’s doing it. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“I’m sure the colonel has his reasons and I don’t really care. I’m more concerned with keeping the women’s home open.”

“Same here and I’m sure once we tell Bruce, he’ll feel the same.”

“What’s your next step?”

“I’ll speak with my accountant. She and I will come up with a plan together.”

I finish off my coffee and frown. “Isn’t that Dinah?”

Oliver smiles and lounges back in his chair. “Yeah.” I laugh and set my mug at the edge of the table. “What are you going to about the colonel on a person-to-person level?”

“I’ve met his daughter a few times. When I get back to Gotham I’ll give her a ring.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Veronica is speaking to an older couple behind Oliver but I can tell she’s listening to our conversation. Oliver picks up on this as well. “How’s Wally?”

“Not sure. I haven’t spoken with him since we broke-up.”

“I heard about that. How are you feeling?”

“Glad I’m not stringing him along but I do miss him. Wally is a nice guy and a pretty good kisser.”

Oliver makes a face and drinks his coffee. “I did not need to hear that.”

“You asked.”

“Not about _that_.” I laugh and Veronica comes over to our table.

“Is there anything I can get you?” she says to me after picking up my empty mug.

“No, thank you.”

“What are you going to do next?” I don’t know why Oliver decides to ask that with Veronica standing next to us but I have my suspicions.

“Take a break from dating and enjoy time with friends and doing work.”

“Good and maybe you’ll make a few new friends along the way.” Oliver motions to Veronica with his eyes and I resist the urge to roll mine.

“Maybe.” I smile up at Veronica and she blushes before asking Oliver if he wants anything. When he tells her he’s okay she walks away. She looks back at me and we lock eyes briefly. She smiles shyly before disappearing around a corner.

“I still think it’s the hair.”

“Nah, it’s totally the blue eyes. No one can resist the eyes.”


	14. Chapter 14

After lunch with Oliver I go to the JLA lab where Kara In-Ze is being held. At the moment, only Martian Manhunter, Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman, and I are here. J’onn is making sure the machines are working correctly before he goes back to Watchtower. Ivy is permanently living in the lab until further notice while creating new formulas that will nourish Kara’s body. Diana pops in when she can to check on Ivy and to see if Kara’s status has changed. It’s good to see the three of them again and odd to see them at the same time.

I’m experimenting on a piece of rock Superman brought back from the planet Kara was on when I feel a presence behind me. “You shouldn’t sneak-up on me.”

“I figured you weren’t too absorbed with your work not to know I was behind you.”

“Barely.” The heavy scent of ivy and lilies washes over me as Ivy sits down on my right.

“You’ve been staring at that rock for over an hour.” I don’t need Ivy to add more to the comment to know what is going on through that brain of hers.

“I’m not avoiding her, Ivy. It’s a little hard to with her twenty-five feet away.”

“You can be six inches from a person and still avoid them, Kara.” I let out a sigh but keep my focus on the rock. I hate it when she uses my words against me.

“This rock is one of many samples Kal brought back from the planet. It may hold part of the key as to how it survived the destruction of our red sun.”

“Kara might know.”

“I’m sure she does but as you can see,” I say while motioning back with my head, “she’s in a coma. Until she wakes up, these rocks will have to do.”

“Kara, please…” Ivy’s voice has taken on a soft quality. She only does this when she’s trying to get me to open up. I break my eyes away from the microscope and stare into Ivy’s green ones. “Talk to her.”

“I did this morning, _all_ morning, _and_ when I came back. I’ll keep talking to her until she wakes but I can’t let that hinder the research Ivy. You of all people know how important research is.”

Ivy’s nods then stands. “Yes, but the value of a life far outweighs the value of science. I wonder who said that.” I _really_ hate it when she throws my words back at me, especially when she badly paraphrases them.

When I first told her that, I was talking about human contact and relationships. I was trying to bring Ivy back to humanity any way I could. Harley Quinn was in the hospital because of a Joker heist gone wrong. She was in critical condition and Ivy was the only one there to make sure she was alright. Joker sent her flowers but the fact Ivy risked her freedom to see Harley showed there was a seedling of humanity still in her.

As Linda and as Supergirl, I did my best to help Ivy let that seedling grow. She has come a long way since then and though her plant abilities are as strong as ever, so is her human side. I doubt Ivy will ever be able to let go of her plant side completely because it has become such an integral part of her. One day, I do hope she will let go enough to show the cream-colored skin that hides underneath all the green and black.

Before I go back to the rock, J’onn says goodbye to the three of us. As soon as he’s gone, Ivy tells Diana and me she’ll be powering down soon. It makes me uneasy knowing Ivy will be the only one in the lab in case anything happens but there isn’t any reason for me to stay other than to give Kara some company. The machines were designed by J’onn and Bruce to allow them to function with only one person running them. Besides, if anything does happen the designated teams will show up to help.

“Come on Kara, let’s get some rest. The rock and your cousin will be here tomorrow,” says Diana. She knows I can go days without sleeping but I’d rather shut down my mind for a short while before coming back to work on the rock sample.

“Okay Di. Let’s go.” By the time we’re done cleaning up, it’s half-past midnight. Diana and I change into our civvies then leave the ‘abandoned’ warehouse. “How’s Steve?” I ask as we get in her car.

“Fine. He’s on a mission in Greece to tie-up loose ends.”

“How is it over there?”

“Rough, Greece is bankrupt and they’re not particularly fans of Americans right now.”

“I can see why with a lot of it being our fault. Is it true Greece may lose the right to call itself a country?”

“Yes.”

“That’s messed-up.”

“You’re telling me.” The rest of the conversation revolves around life outside the League. I keep the subject of Colonel Kane vague and Diana understands it’s not something she needs to know a lot about.

“Once Bruce gets back, we’ll talk about the next step.”

“And you’re going to use this Katherine Kane to get to him?”

“To be honest, I don’t need her but using her might help in case my plan goes south.”

“Hm.” I know that disapproving tone.

“Okay, what is it?”

“I don’t like you using people. Katherine is human and you must treat her as such. If she finds out you’re using her, the situation could implode on you. My advice would be to leave her alone. Continue on with the story but leave Katherine out of it. Please.” I think about Diana’s plea carefully. She’s right by saying I should only get Katherine involved if need be.

“Okay. I’ll leave Katherine Kane alone.” Diana smiles at me.

“Good.” The car ride continues in silence and neither Diana nor I bother to break it.

**X**

After Diana and I get to the hotel, I get a call from Barbara to come to Gotham. She has new information on the location of the Mad Hatter. I talk with Diana about going and she says it should be okay. In less than ten minutes, I’m flying over Gotham City with Oracle speaking to me in my right ear.

_“Robin and Batgirl are utilizing the information while Batwoman is doing a wide patrol. I need you to join her again.”_

“Okay, I see her.” Batwoman is swinging from a building, her red wig fluttering in the wind as she arches up and lands on the ledge of an adjacent building. She’s ready to take off again but stops when she sees me flying towards her. “How are you Batwoman?”

“Can’t complain.” I land a few feet from her and walk along the ledge with her. “Oracle told me you might be coming.”

“I’m merely here as back-up, like usual.”

“Sounds like you don’t like that.”

“It’s not that I go looking for fights but I much rather use my powers in an offensive manner than a defensive manner.”

“Meaning you’re just itching for some big bad to break-out so you can beat them senseless.” I stop walking and Batwoman notices. “What?”

“Are you a Buffy fan?”

“The Vampire Slayer? Yeah, why?”

“Because you sounded like the character Faith there.”

“I did? Huh…wait, how would you know that unless you’re a fan too?” I smile and float around her so that I’m the one leading her across the ledge. “You’re not going to answer me, are you?”

“Nope.”

“Nice.”

When we reach the corner of the ledge, I face Batwoman. “Batwoman may I ask you a que-” The sound of breaking glass interrupts my train of thought.

“What is it?”

“Not sure.” I use the sound to triangulate where it could have come from. I focus on an apartment complex and see a woman picking broken glass off the floor. “Never-mind, false alarm.”    

“And I thought we were going to get some action tonight.”

“The night _is_ young.” Batwoman fires her grappling hook and takes off through the air. I watch her swoop down and up and land on another ledge with the grace of a trained dancer. She does it again before I actually move from my spot. As I watch her move in calculated swoops and arcs, I wonder if I would be able to move the same if I was human.

**X**

It turns out Batwoman and I did get some action that night. Only minutes after taking a pause on a dilapidated apartment building, I heard a sound more significant than breaking glass. The Mad Hatter and his gang were making a move on an antique store. Oracle had given me a heads-up about the place, saying it held a mint-condition, original edition of _Alice in Wonderland_. Since I was technically supposed to be in Washington, I gave the information to Batgirl and Robin then watched as they took down the Hatter and his posse. I returned to Washington before Batwoman and the rest could thank me.

During the following two mornings, I focused on Kara In-Ze and getting her to wake up from the coma. Her vitals were very strong and according to her brain diagnostics she should be awake. Yet Kara wasn’t waking up. It was like something was holding her back. I didn’t know what but I was set on doing the research to find out, as was the rest of the group. I figured the answer lied within The Leech, considering her body was reacting but her brain was quiet. Superman took it to his fortress for analyzing and told me he would call if his computer found anything unusual or unique.

It’s the night before I go back to Gotham and I’m sitting in Diana’s hotel room. After she discovered I hadn’t slept since my second morning in D.C. she made me stay in and rest. It doesn’t work because I’m mentally wired even if my body is physical tired. Okay, let’s pretend that didn’t rhyme. I’m flipping through the channels when a thought pops in my head. I dig through my dirty clothes and find what I’m looking for rather quickly. It was shoved in the back pocket of my jeans. I dial the number and after a few rings she answers.

_“Hello?”_

“Hey Veronica, remember me?”

_“Linda? Wow, didn’t think you would call.”_

“I don’t think you’re supposed to say that.”

_“Right. Um, so what do you want?”_

“I was wondering if you wanted to meet me at the coffee shop where you work.”

_“I’m actually here now. It’s my night to close.”_

“Great, I can meet you there.”

_“Wait. Can I at least get changed first?”_

“I don’t mind if you’re in your uniform.”

 _“I do. I’ll meet you half-an-hour after closing. We close in fifteen minutes by the way.”_ I’m glad she answers the question before I could ask it. Forty-five minutes later I’m showered, dressed in an acceptable manner, and waiting outside the coffee shop. The streets of Washington D.C. are surprisingly quiet this late at night; not something I expected. I close my eyes and take in the noises and smells of my surroundings.

Bad idea.

The sounds of high-pitched laughter, heated conversations, crying women, gunshots, cars starting, televisions blaring, and everything else mundane rushes in without filter. I try to shut it out but I can’t. The pain of the world is too much and I grip my temples and slump down to the ground. It’s too much. It has to stop. Why can’t I make it stop? MAKE IT STOP!

“Linda!” Veronica’s voice cuts the noise off and I open my eyes to find her kneeling in front of me. “Are you okay?” Her eyes shine brightly because of the moonlight and I can easily see worry in their sandy-brown color. I’ve never seen that color in a human’s eyes before.

“I-I’m fine. Just a headache.”

“A headache made you clutch your head and fall to the ground?” The disbelieving look in her eyes warns me not to lie to her but it’s not like I can tell her the truth.

“I’m fine, really.” Veronica takes my left arm and helps me stand up. The rush of noise and lack of sleep makes me stumble slightly. To her, it’s just another human action. To me, it means something is terribly wrong. “So, what do want to do?”

She raises her left eyebrow then frowns. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

“Okay…there’s a new arcade seven blocks from here. I’ve only been there once but it’s really nice. We could walk to it if you want?” She wants to walk to an arcade?

“Veronica, how old _are_ you?”

“Twenty. You?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Wow, you don’t look a day over twenty-two.”

“Good genes.”

“I’ll say.” We don’t say much from there. I let Veronica lead me in the direction of the arcade. Somewhere along the way she interlocks her arm with mine and I don’t bother to remove it. With how I’m feeling, a little human contact will be good for me.

**X**

“I can’t believe you won that.” I laugh and give my giant panda a gentle squeeze.

“I told you I could.” Veronica smiles and takes another spoonful of her ice cream.

Once Veronica and I got to the arcade, she took me to every game she could. We played shooting games, racing games, darts, go karts, and even Dance Dance Revolution. I have to say, she gave me a run for my money on the last one. That was when I found out she wanted to be a professional dancer. From there, I learned she was from northern New Jersey and she had a seven year-old baby brother named Danny. Her parents separated when she was ten but remarried seven years later and have been fine ever since.

I told her how I was adopted at seventeen after living with my foster mom for a year. After graduating high school, I went to Metropolis University where I met Barbara. Veronica was fascinated with how my cousin Clark and I became reporters without knowing the other existed. We spoke the entire time about our lives, the expectations we had and still have for them, and what our goals were. It was nice being able to open up to her. The funny thing was I didn’t even know her last name.

“Excuse me?”

“What’s your last name?” I ask again.

“What’s yours?”

“I asked first.” She sighs and throws her empty ice cream container in a trashcan we passed by.

“It’s Lake.” I take a mental pause and frown before replying.

“Quick question. You wouldn’t happen to be related to Linda Lake, would you?”

“Yeah.”

“The reporter?”

“Yeah, she’s my cousin.”

“Of course she is,” I mumble under my breath. Unfortunately, Veronica heard me.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It’s nothing personal. I just don’t think she’s a good reporter.”

“Because she writes for the Inquirer?”

“Amongst other things.” Veronica stops walking and stands in front of me. I know she’s trying to be intimidating but it’s hard to do when I tower over her.

“Look, I know my cousin can be nasty at times but she’s not that bad. Except for the time when she almost got that reporter put in jail for a murder she didn’t commit.”

“Oh yeah, I remember.” Veronica gives me a crooked smile before continuing on with her speech.

“Okay, this is the part where you tell me what your last name is.”

“It’s Danvers.” Veronica’s smile slumps down into a frown.

“You wouldn’t happen to be _the_ Linda Lee-Danvers of the Daily Planet?”

“Is there another?”

“Oh my gosh,” Veronica runs her hands through her hair and steps away from me, “I’m on a date with the woman my cousin almost put in jail.”

“Hey, I’m over it and technically this isn’t a date.” She catches the last part and removes her hands from her hair.

“Then what is this?”

“A distraction?” Okay, wrong thing to say because Veronica’s suspicious look is now a hurt one. “I didn’t mean it like that. I have a lot on my plate and I needed a breather. My friend Diana wanted me to chill-out in my room but I’m not one for TV. You were the best choice.”

“Oh, well that makes it better.” I move the panda from one side to the other and push my glasses up my nose.

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I didn’t mean to.”

“I’m not hurt Linda, I’m disappointed. I heard what you told your friend, but when you called I hoped-”

“You hoped I had changed my mind.”

She gives me a sheepish smile and shrugs. “Yeah.”

I moved towards Veronica and wrap my free arm around her shoulder. “Oh kiddo, what I said to Oliver is true. I’m only looking to relish in my friendships.” I tilt my head down so I can look her in the eyes. “And maybe form some new ones along the way.” I give her my best smile to try to cheer her up. She smiles back but the look of disappointment is still in her eyes.

“I guess.” I kiss the top of her head and lead us the rest of the way to her apartment. It is three blocks from the café, which explains why I never saw her car or a taxi pull up to the café. We’re standing in the doorway of her building when I hand her the bear. “Is this your way of getting out of a goodnight kiss?” I roll my eyes then lean down and kiss her on the left cheek.

“That’s not what I had in mind.”

“Tough.” She sighs and leans against the wall.

“You know, if you’re not into me you can just tell me.”

“I am into you, just not in that way.”

“Is this your subtle way of saying you’re straight?”

“Labels are for cans, not for people. But yes, I’m only into guys.”

“Bummer.” I lean forward and give her shoulder a gentle shove. “How long will you be in D.C?”

“I’m leaving in the morning.”

“Double bummer. Will I ever see you again?”

“If I’m in D.C I’ll give you a call. Otherwise, if you’re ever in Gotham or Metropolis give me a ring. I’ll answer.” The slight blush creeping up her cheeks doesn’t go unnoticed. I give her another kiss on the cheek and say goodbye. She goes into her building and I wait outside to make sure she’s in her apartment before checking my surroundings and super-speeding away.

Tomorrow I have a redhead by the name of Katherine Kane to deal with. Yippee.


	15. Chapter 15

When I open the door to my apartment, the smell of burnt bacon hits my nose like a punch. “Please tell me it’s supposed to smell that way,” I yell as I close the door behind me.

“Linda?”

“No, Supergirl.” As soon as my bags hit the floor Elisabeth plows into me. I allow her to knock me back a few steps so she doesn’t hurt herself. “Morning kiddo, what’s for breakfast?”

“Scrambled eggs and poorly cooked bacon.” She pulls back from me but keeps her arms loosely wrapped around my body. “I thought you weren’t coming back until closer to lunch?”

“Wonder Woman wrapped the final proceedings up last night. With nothing to do I caught an earlier flight back.” A big smile stretches across Elisabeth’s face as she lets go of me and runs to the kitchen.

“I wish you would’ve told me you were comin’ home so soon. I would’ve put more effort into not burnin’ the toast.” She turns off the stove and pulls the skillet off the burner.

“I’ll keep that in mind next time you’re babysitting my apartment.” When she sets the last piece of bacon on the paper towel covered plate, I grab a small piece. Elisabeth watches me as I chew the crunchy meat. “Not bad.” She smiles and turns to put the skillet in the sink, giving me the chance to super-speed to the bathroom and spit the bacon in the trashcan.

“How was Washington?” she asks as I sit down.

“Nice. Made a new friend. Her name is Veronica Lake.” Elisabeth grabs two plates from the cabinet and divides out the eggs and bacon equally.

“Why does that name sound familiar?”

“Her cousin is Linda Lake, the hack reporter who accused me of murder.” Elisabeth starts choking on the spoonful of eggs she was chewing.

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope.” She wipes the eggs off her chin with a paper towel then takes a sip of orange juice.

“Small world.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Ooh, forgot the ketchup.” Just as the words leave her lips she drops the morning paper in front of me. The newspaper is the Gotham Gazette and it’s open to my article on the peace talks. “You wanna tell me why you gave your article to them instead of the paper you _actually_ work for?”

“Perry has a much better article that’s appearing in the Metropolis edition of the Daily Planet. And though Gotham has its own branch of the Planet, I figured I throw the Gazette a bone.” She closes the fridge and hands me the red bottle.

“That’s oddly nice of you and completely out of the blue.”

“Not really. I owe someone something.”

“Let me guess, I don’t get to know the name of that someone or what that something was.”

“Yep.” We continue breakfast in silence. The eggs are good and the rest of the bacon is better tasting than the piece I took earlier. When both our plates are clear, I ask her what she has planned for the day. She surprises me by telling me about her new job at the Glass Factory in East Gotham. It’s known for producing beautiful bowls, vases, wineglasses, and artwork made from glass and crystal.

“I can’t believe you got a job there.”

“They were planning on reporting me to the police because of the whole breaking-in part, but after they saw what I could do they agreed to let it go if I worked for them. They won’t pay me for the first week of work but that’s okay.” We talk about work while she gets dressed. I mention to her about the Colonel Kane story I’m working on and the Intergang story, though I leave the details of the latter out.

Elisabeth is ready to leave when she asks me if I want to do anything with her in the afternoon. “I’ll think of something for us to do, but for now I need to focus on a new project.”

“Perry hasn’t given you a new assignment yet?”

“He wants me to take two days off. The Kane story is a surprise for him.”

“When does Perry White let his reporters take days off?”

“It is a un-Perry thing to do. To be honest, he’s been sweet to me recently.”

“Think something is going on?”

“Not sure. I’ll call Jimmy though to see if he knows anything. You get off at three, right?”

“Yeah”

“Good. There’s someone I need to see first but afterwards we’ll go out and have some fun.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Elisabeth gives me a kiss on the cheek and leaves. Since Elisabeth and I cleaned up the kitchen and I have nothing pressing to attend to, I decide taking the time to patrol is a good idea. I leave the apartment and head to the roof of my building…or right below it. Gotham Towers used to be an old office building in the 1940s. Bruce Wayne turned it into an apartment complex. Though he modernized the entire building, he kept the outside architecture the same as the original design.

Just below the roof is an oddly designed alcove. When I first found it, I thought it was going to be a belfry but Bruce told me he could use it to look over Gotham City. This is where I change and keep my clothes when patrolling. Seeing how quiet Gotham is early in the morning, I checkout Bludhaven, Central City, Star City, Manhattan, Metropolis, Los Angeles, and keep my ears and eyes open for any situations that call for some super-action.

During the patrol, I run into Hawk and Dove, Hawkgirl, a Green Lantern, and other heroes whose names escape me. Sometimes I forget about the number of protectors Earth has. At times, it feels like Superman and I are the only powerful people on the planet. According to Batman, we are not the only aliens but we are possibly the most powerful beings anywhere. I think that scares Bruce, knowing what I’m capable of. I don’t blame him. After I lost it years ago he’s been on edge around me but recently he’s been treating me differently.

Speaking of Bruce, he called me this morning. The message was cryptic but basically said he is going on a mission for the JLA. When he gets back, he wants us to have a serious conversation. Serious conversations plus Bruce equals alone time with him. Usually I’m okay with that but I’ve been having trouble lying to him. He knows I am and I know it hurts him. You would think by now he would have a second layer of skin protecting him but apparently not.

**X**

When I get back to Gotham, it’s close to lunch time. I decide to surprise Elisabeth by making her lunch and taking it to her. Her lunch hour isn’t until 1:30 pm so when I get there she tells me to put it in her locker. I get to watch her work on a glass bowl the size of a softball before I get a text from Drake. He has a file for me and tells me it will be at a certain address by a certain time.

I leave Elisabeth to her work and head to the address Drake texted me five minutes before I left. The location is an alley behind a jewelry store in West Gotham. I make sure no one is watching me as I slip in the alley and look for the dumpster with my information. There are two behind the store. I use my x-ray vision and see the envelope is taped to the bottom of the dumpster farthest from me. Getting on my hands and knees, I reach under and grab the manila folder. Not wanting to look at the information later, I open the folder and look at the paperwork Drake got me.

“Bingo. I have you now, Kane.”

  **X**

Around 4:30, Elisabeth meets me at the diner Barb and I like to eat at. We grab a few pastries and coffee before heading for Katherine Kane’s shop.

“What kind of shop is it?” Elisabeth asks before taking a large bite out of her croissant.

“She never said.”

“Didn’t you try using your charms on her?”

“No.” Elisabeth smiles widely, which causes a few pieces of pastry to fall out of her mouth. “She seemed to be immune.”

“Someone who’s immune to the Danvers charm…who knew?” I give her a slight shove and stop in front of Kate’s store.

“It’s a bookstore,” I say thinking out-loud. I didn’t know what to expect Kate’s shop to be. Not a bookstore, that’s for certain. The door opens when I turn the knob and a bell goes off as soon as I set foot in the store.

“I'll be with you in a minute!” yells someone from the back of the building. Elisabeth is looking around at the stack of boxes and books that litter the room.

“Wait right here.” She nods her head and disappears behind a column of boxes marked consignment.

I figure the voice from the back belongs to Kate and I’m proved right. Seeing her legs sticking out from under a rusty desk puts a smile on my face because of how silly it looks. I’m about to introduce myself when I hear a bang and Katherine cries out, “Dammit!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is that anyway for a lady to talk?” She jumps, now realizing whoever came in the door is watching her, and slides quickly out from the under the desk. When she sees me, she relaxes as much as anyone with a throbbing hand can.

“It is when she slams her hand into a metal desk,” she says before sliding back under.

“I see.” Since I rather talk with her about her father instead of watch her fiddle with a desk I set my bag on a chair and squat down to get a better look at her. “You have your work cut out for you, mind if I help?” I don’t give her the chance to answer and cozy up next to her and take the wrench out of her hand. Due to how little room there is under the desk, I’m squeezed against Kate. I feel bad too because my left arm is practically clipping her nose each time I turn the bolt.

When the bolt is loose enough, I use my fingers to get the nut off. “How-how do you do that so quickly?” I choose not to answer her question just yet and place the nut on her stomach; she flinches at this.

“Sorry, I had nowhere else to put it.” I wish I could put it somewhere else but with how little room there is under here, her stomach is the best choice. “When I lived in Kansas, I would visit my cousin's farm as much as possible. While there, his father would have me do odd jobs around the farm. One of them was to take apart an old tractor that needed to be fixed. I guess doing those odd jobs built up my hand strength.”

“Don’t you live in Metropolis now?”

“I do, but I still visit Smallville from time to time.”

“Smallville?” I smile. People have a hard time believing a town is actually named that.

“Hah, that’s the name of the town my cousin lived in. I actually lived in Kansas City.” The third and fourth bolts are out of reach so I have to scoot down to get a better angle.

“Who's your cousin?”

“Clark Kent.” Kate jumps and I realize my head is aligned with her stomach. My breath must be tickling the small bit of exposed skin. “Kate, are you okay. That’s the second time you’ve jumped.”

“Sorry, I had a spasm in my back.” It doesn’t take super-hearing to know she’s lying.

“It must be from being under here for so long. How ‘bout we get up and stretch?” I say after getting the last nut and bolt loose. Kate slides out from under the desk as fast as humanly possible. When I move, she reaches down to me and I grab her hand. Unfortunately, she yanks on my arm and my weight pulls her down to me. From there, time slows down and she hits her head against mine.

I wait for a moment for her to get off of me but from her lack of movement I think she’s passed out. “Linda, I know you told me to wait but-whoa…” Elisabeth looks between me and Kate’s unconscious form. “Linda, is there something you want to tell me?”

“Shut-up, she’s not waking up. Help me get her off.” Elisabeth sets her book-bag down and helps me get Kate onto the floor and off of me.

“What happened?”

“She tried to pull me up and I ended up pulling her down. I think she hit her head on the desk.”

“Ouch. What do we do?” I study the unconscious Kate and think of a plan.

“See if you can wake her up. I’ll call Barbara.” I pull out my cellphone and leave Elisabeth to handle Kate. Barbara’s phone rings five times before she picks up.

_“Linda?”_

“Hey Babs, it’s me and I have a problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first published this story and Gettin' By, people had remarked that I made Kate Kane a little dorky in this series. That's true. In my other stories Kate is in (and will be in) she's a lot less of a dork. I just didn't want the version of Kate on FanFiction to be different than here.   
> [Note: There are some changes to this version compared to the FanFiction version. Mostly it's grammar issues and a few word choices.]


	16. Chapter 16

“Let me get this straight. She tried to pull you up but you ended up pulling her down and now she’s unconscious. Why? Because she smacked her head against yours.”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Barbara shakes her head and follows me to Kate’s bedroom.

When I called Barbara, I told her what happened and that I needed to get Kate home. She gave me the address and Elisabeth helped me get her to the apartment. During the ride to the apartment complex, Elisabeth tried to wake Kate up. She stirred slightly, which is a good sign, but nothing more than a few noises in her sleep. If a person is knocked-out for too long it’s an indicator of brain damage. But since she was making noises it was safe to say she was alright. Once we got to the building, we carried her inside.

As we plopped Kate on her bed, Elisabeth and I understood our evening out was canceled. I planned on taking her to dinner then to a play afterwards. Maybe I should stop making plans since they tend to get interrupted or canceled. After Elisabeth helped me get Kate changed and settled in her bed, she told me she was going to run a few errands then crash at my apartment again. Barbara showed up half-an-hour or so after she left.

Barbara wheels closer to Kate and places a hand on her right shoulder. “Kate…Kate...wake-up Kate.” The sleeping redhead opens her eyes a little then closes them and snuggles deeper into her bed.

“Looks like she doesn’t want to wake-up,” I say with a laugh.

“Then we’ll let her rest. If I were you, I would keep her under observation. The last thing I want to do is call Colonel Kane and tell him his daughter’s in the hospital because she bashed heads with an alien.”

“You and me both.” We leave the bedroom and go to the kitchen.

“I should get going. The Birds are going to be busy tonight and-”

“Barbara, I’m sorry.” She looks up at me over her glasses. I take mine off and crouch down so I’m looking up at her. “I’m sorry for lashing out and making it seem like I was about to hit you. I’m so, so sorry. I-I don’t know what else to say.” Barbara stares at me for what feels like forever before she brushes a strand of my brunette hair back.

“I went too far, Kara. I brought up old wounds and a subject you’re not ready to deal with. I shouldn’t have…I shouldn’t have reached for the Kryptonite either. I was treating you like-”

“You did when I was crazy?” I give her a half-smile and take her right hand in both of mine. “It’s not your fault. I let my temper get the best of me. I’m…I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.” Barbara takes a breath the smiles slightly. “I think it’s safe to say we were both in the wrong, huh?”

“Yeah, but I was less wrong.” Barbara raises an eyebrow at me. I give her my best smile to show I’m messing. Suddenly, she starts tearing up.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” It doesn’t matter who moved first. All that matters is the fight was over and I get to hug her again. When we break apart, Barbara asks what I’m going to do about Kate.

“Do what you suggested. Wait until she wakes.” Barb nods then rolls away from me. I stand up and walk with her as she goes to the front door.

Before leaving she asks me, “You’re not going to ask her about her father, are you?”

“I think I should let her get her bearing before bombarding her with questions of any kind.”

“What are you going to do ‘til then?”

“I think it is high-time Supergirl pays Detective Maggie Sawyer a visit.”

**X**

Detective Maggie Sawyer had a long day. She chased three potential leads for two different cases that led her nowhere. Det. Bullock was angry about who-knows-what and was taking that anger out on her whenever he could. The Intergang case was as stagnant as dirty water and Kate hadn’t answered her phone all day.

The only good part of her day was her coffee and knowing her key witness for the Intergang case was safe. Both of which took place this morning. On top of it, as her day went from good to bad she had the sinking feeling she was going to get an unwelcome visitor. So when she found Supergirl sitting on the couch in her apartment, she was only half surprised.

“I could charge you for breaking and entering,” she says as she puts her gun back in the holster.

“You can try.” A statement like that from a super-powered being can be taken many ways.

“So you think because you have powers and fly around with a big ‘S’ on your chest you’re above the law?”

“Beats than having a letter ‘A’.” Maggie pauses for a second to figure out the allegory.

“You’ve read the Scarlet Letter?”

“I do read, detective.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t. Did you like it?”

“The story was good.”

Maggie puts her gun and badge away and grabs a beer from the fridge. “Is that your way of saying you didn’t like the writing?”

“Run-on sentences aren’t my thing.”

Maggie smiles before popping the top off the bottle and leaning on her kitchen counter. Supergirl moves from her spot on the couch and Maggie takes this moment to give her an once-over. She likes the blonde hero is no longer wearing her black uniform but the normal colorful one. “What happened to your covert uniform?”

“I only needed it to stay out of sight.”

“And now?”

“Now I need to be seen, especially by Intergang.” The smile on Maggie faces drops to a frown. “Have you ever heard of the meta-human Night Shadow?”

“Yeah. Rumor-has-it he’s Intergang’s newest assassin. What do you know about him?” Supergirl pulls a folder out from under her cape and hands it to Maggie. “Where did you pull this out of?” Supergirl’s face remains stoic and Maggie decides to put the joke aside for now. She opens the folder and fingers through the paperwork. Two of the papers confirm the Night Shadow rumor to be true but the others offer a different set of information. “Where did you get this?”

“I have sources.” Maggie raises an eyebrow at the statement.

“You have sources? Superheroes have sources?”

“Detective, even _I_ need someone to be my eyes and ears at times.” Maggie looks over the information again.

“Thank you. I’ve hit a rut with this Intergang investigation.”

“I figured you had. Don’t waste that information. A drug bust like this only comes a few times in a cop’s career, _if_ they live long enough.”

“Right, right…thank,” when Maggie looks up from the folder Supergirl is gone, “you.”

**X**

“We need to talk…” “I’m fine, _we’re_ fine…” “Good morning, Los Angeles!” “Beep! Beep! …” “Wakey-wakey eggs and bacey…” “Woof! Woof!” “Good evening senator…” “Um, I think this was a mistake…” I try to block out the voices and sounds of the world but it’s useless. The only way to do that is to swim to the bottom of the ocean.

Last night I slept on Kate’s couch. It’s a comfortable couch but I’d rather be in my own bed. I open my eyes and kick off the blanket just to lay here and stare at the ceiling. Clark taught me a few breathing exercises to help me get my focus and filter the noises out better. I go through them step-by-step until the noises turn into nothing more than mumbles; thousands of instances of mumbling.

Knowing I can’t stay here forever, I get up and go to the kitchen. The clock on the stove says 6:22 am. I pour a glass of orange juice and check my cellphone. No new messages. I down the juice in one gulp and set the glass in the sink. Apparently, Kate hasn’t done the dishes in a while because the sink is overflowing with them. Speaking of Kate, she’s still asleep. I checked on her before going to bed at midnight and her vitals were fine. No brain damage either.

Not wanting to leave those dishes sitting there, I turn on the radio to the classical station and start cleaning. “She’ll probably be hungry when she wakes.” Using my gift of double-tasking or single-tasking at high speeds, I find her skillet and start cooking her breakfast while cleaning.

As soon as the food is done, I hear the sounds of movement in Kate’s bedroom. I pull a tray out from her Tupperware cabinet and prepare a plate of eggs and bacon. With one hand, I turn the water off and with the other I carry the tray. As I walk to Kate’s room, the movement stops. I humor her and let her pretend to be asleep as I place the tray of food on her bed.

“You can stop pretending you’re asleep now.” Kate doesn’t move but I know she can smell the food. “Fine, play dead. I guess I’m gonna have to eat these bacon and eggs all on my lonesome.” As soon as I pick the tray up Kate’s right eye pops open, then her left. It’s cute.

I pretend like I don’t notice her as she calls out to me. “Wait!” I stop and turn back to her with a big smile on my face.

“Morning, sleepy head. How are you feeling?” She tries to sit up but the apparent pain in her head makes her lie down again.

“Better a second ago.” I laugh and put the tray back on the bed. She cracks her back then sits crisscross while she digs in. I smile again and head to the windows. The smell of freshly baked bread accompanies the sound of birds singing once the window is open.

“Hold on.” I look over my shoulder at Kate and see her making a face at her alarm clock. “Oh, that’s not funny. Tell me that clock is wrong.”

“I’m afraid not.” I walk over to her and sit on the left side of her bed. “You banged your head pretty hard on that desk.” When I reach up and touch her head, Kate hisses and pulls back from me. “I guess it still hurts.”

“You think?” Kate moans and flops down on the bed. She lets out another moan after laying her pillow on her face. “How did I get to my apartment?” I grab the tray and put it on the floor next to me. The last thing I need is for her to kick it over.

“After you fell, I checked you out. You were okay but it worried me that you weren’t waking up. I guess the hit to your head was nastier than expected. Anyway, I took your keys and locked up the store for you. Then I took you home.”

“How did you know where I lived?”

“I called Barbara and told her what happened. She gave me your address.” Kate lets out another groan and I can’t help but laugh.

“So you just tucked me into bed and left?”

“Of course not. I crashed on your couch waiting for you to wake-up.” She finally takes the pillow off her face and looks at me. Slowly, her eyes move down my body, pausing a little too long on my chest for my comfort, and then continue down the rest of me that’s visible.

“Hi,” she says when she’s back at my face. The change in mood catches me off guard but I smile anyway and push my glasses up my nose.

“Hello.” Kate smiles at me then I watch as she realizes she’s staring and wait for her to come back to reality. “Do you want to finish your breakfast now?” She nods slowly and I reach down to grab the tray. I feel the back of my shirt ride up and Kate lets out a squeak. “Katherine, are you okay? Your face is all red,” I say after setting the tray on her lap. Kate turns a deeper shade of red. “Kate, I think you need to eat. If you turn any redder, your face will match your hair.”

She stares at her food until the blood leaves her face then sits up. “That's a good girl.” I leave so Kate can eat in peace but stop for a moment at the foot of her bed. She stops eating and looks at me. “By the way, we need to talk. I was going to take you out for a late lunch-slash-early dinner yesterday, but the ‘you being knocked out part’ was kind of a hindrance.”

“What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Eat. We’ll talk about it after you get dressed.” The feeling of the warm sun charging my body is nice. I reach above my head and stretch my whole body as I power-up for the day. Before leaving, I give Katherine a smile and push my glasses up to their rightful place.

I have a feeling today is going to be interesting, especially if I spend it with the fascinating Miss Katherine Kane.


	17. Chapter 17

I can hear Kate’s shower running when my cellphone rings. Before it falls off the arm of the couch, I grab it and see who’s calling me. “Hey Elisabeth. What’s up?”

_“Nothing much. Just wanna see how your morning’s going.”_

“Fine. Kate’s up. I gave her breakfast and she’s taking a shower now.”

 _“That’s nice, uh-”_ I pick up on a noise coming from Elisabeth’s side of the line. It sounds like a voice.

“Elisabeth, who’s there?”

_“No one but me.”_

“Beth…”

_“Ooh, nickname. Um, okay, relax. He showed up this morning and claimed he’s a friend of yours.”_

“And you let him in? Beth you know better.”

 _“Yeah, yeah whatever. Look, he told me his name and since you barely talk about him I figured this guy’s the real deal. Plus, the white stripe in his hair was a total give-away.”_ Uh-oh. Not good. REALLY not good.

“Beth, get out of there.”

_“But-”_

“Don’t argue, just do.”

 _“Oh, okay. I have to get to work soon anyway. Um, when…”_ Based upon the long pause, I figure Jason wrote something for her to read. _“…when should I tell him to meet you?”_

“Tell him to meet me at Central Park.”

_“Will do. Oh, one more thing. You know that flat I wanted to sub-let?”_

“Yeah.”

_“I got a call back from the guy. Looks like I won’t be living with you anymore.”_

I’m sad that I won’t have Elisabeth around anymore but I am glad she’s moving forward in life. “When will you be moving out?”

_“Not sure yet. As soon as possible, hopefully. See ya tonight.”_

“See ya.” After she hangs up, I almost run over to my apartment right then. But I know he won’t hurt her, plus it wouldn’t be wise for me to leave Kate so abruptly. So to bide my time until I can get home I grab a newspaper and flip to the back where the puzzles are. It doesn’t take long for me to finish the crossword puzzle, the theme is superheroes, and the word search is so easy it’s ridiculous. That’s when I hear the water in the bathroom turn off and remember I left Kate’s breakfast in her bedroom.

I figure I have time before she gets out so I head straight to her room. Kate left the tray on the edge of her bed. I grab it and turn around to find a wet red-head wrapped in nothing but a fluffy green towel and standing wide-eyed in front of me. Since I’m so used to seeing Diana dressed in less, seeing Kate practically naked doesn’t faze me. She on the other hand is not faring as well. Her face is void of all color as I walk past her and when I accidently brush against her arm I feel her shiver. Well, this really could turn out to be an interesting day.

**X**

After Kate got dressed, we had a semi-awkward conversation in which I practically told her about Diana strutting around the hotel room in the nude. Thankfully we got passed that with nothing more being said. With Kate’s dishes being washed and me needing to ask her some questions, I suggested we go for a walk.

This allows me to direct her to Gotham Central Park where I’ll be meeting Jason. And knowing him, he’s already here waiting for me. “So, what did you want to talk about?” she asks not long after we leave her apartment.

“I need a favor from you.”

“And what would that favor be?” I want to ask about her father but after being with her I know she won’t tell me anything. Plus, it would be a good way to alienate myself from her and that’s the last thing I want. Instead, I go for a different tactic.

“Well, you’re friends with Captain Margaret Sawyer aren’t you?”

“Maggie? Yeah, why? Do you want me to set you two up?” She winks at me and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

“Hardy-har-har. No, I need you to see if she’ll meet with me. I want to talk with her about this Intergang investigation. I’ve been trying to get in contact with her ever since the witness went into protection but she refuses to see me. And every time she does see me, she avoids me.” Everything I say is the truth. As Supergirl, I can easily converse with Maggie somewhat, but as Linda I can barely get a word to her let alone talk about the investigation

“I thought you’re from Metropolis? How do you know Maggie?”

“I don’t know her per se, but I have had a few run-ins with her. Besides, don’t you know? Captain Sawyer used to live in Metropolis.” Okay, that’s mostly untrue. I know Maggie more than I care to explain at the moment.

“That still doesn’t explain how you know her.” But it looks like I’m going to explain anyway.

“Okay, fair enough. I know Maggie because my first story was an arson case. Maggie was part of the SCU and she thought Intergang had something to do with it. We ended up running into each other on one of the previously burned buildings and we sort of hit it off. Anyway, together we solved who was doing it. It wasn’t Intergang but a fireman. You see, Metropolis had cut the local fire companies’ funding to put into the SCU. So this fireman took it upon himself to start a few fires. The most recent one killed an SCU officer.”

I kick a rock and watch it skid across the cement path. “You know, Maggie used to always make time for me or any reporter but this case must be extremely important for her to refuse to see even me.”

“It is,” says Kate while watching moving out of the way of a falling leaf. “Even I haven’t been able to see her let alone talk to her because of it.”

“That’s too bad. But schedule aside, can you at least ask her out to lunch? She won’t say no to you.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because I know her, she has a thing for blondes and red-heads.”

“She must have really liked Supergirl then.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” Kate scrunches her brow as she tries to understand what I mean by the statement. “Katherine can you do this for me, please?” Playing the sincere act takes her by surprise, that or using her full name.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.” We continue walking through the park in silence. I’ve forgotten how beautiful it can be this early in the morning. The way the sun is shining through the trees brings out the different colored leaves. “I’ve always liked the parks in Gotham. Metropolis only has one park but if my memory serves me right Gotham has four or five.”

“Have you been to all of them?”

“M-hm, Barb and I would go on these long walks together. We even took a stroll through Amity Park in Suicide Slums.”

“You and Barb are really close, aren’t you?”

“Barbara Gordon is my best-friend. She has always been there for me when I needed her. I just wish I could say the same about myself.”

“I don’t understand.”

I take a deep breath before explaining. “I know Barb always says great things about me but I don’t feel worthy of the praise. When Barbara was shot by the Joker I was off doing my own thing. I didn’t even know about her being paralyzed until _after_ she finished her therapy. What kind of friend isn’t there when they’re needed?”

By now my eyes are watery and I can hear my voice crack. I don’t know why I’m telling her this but I am. Maybe it has to do with her. There’s something about Katherine Kane I find welcoming.

Suddenly, she grabs me and pulls me into her. People don’t hug me that often. Jimmy has but he’s my friend so it’s semi-expected. But to have Kate, a woman who is nothing more than an acquaintance, hug me is kind of awkward. Still, her body is warm and soft so I relax in her arms and hug her back. She immediately tightens her grip on me and I sink deeper into the embrace.

I should hug more often.

**X**

Kate and I part ways shortly after our hug-fest. She has some errands to run and I say the same. As soon as she is out of normal view, I feel Jason behind me.

“What do you want, Todd?”

“Nothing. Can’t a friend visit a friend?”

I turn around and face him. “Not if it’s you. What do you want? And what are you doing in Gotham again?”

“That’s my business.”

“Right…” Jason begins to circle me like a cat about to strike. “What. Do. You. Want. Jason?”

He stops and looks me in the eyes. “You.”

I scoff and roll my eyes. “I don’t have time for this.” Knowing how fast Jason is, I tap into my speed to avoid having him block me as I move away from him.

“Come on, Kara. With that red speedster gone you’re available.” He says while walking with me. “I don’t see why you and I can’t start where we left off.” I spin around in order to catch him off guard but his reflexes keep him from running into me.

“Where we left off is you being-pardon my language-an asshole. I left because I was tired of you always trying to one-up Bruce. You kept making things a competition as if I belonged to you. I don’t. I never did. And I don’t belong to Bruce either.”

“Then why do you always go back to him?”

Years ago, I realized Bruce was always someone I could talk to. As a teenager he sort of scared me but as the years went on I came to respect him and he came to respect me. Then one day, I realized it was much deeper than respect. I was in-love with Bruce. I let him into my heart and he’s never left it. But I can’t tell Jason that, I can’t tell anyone. Not now. Not when my life is about to take a devastating turn.

“I don’t Jason. He’s always been there for me. Even long before he trusted me, he protected me. The same goes for Diana, Clark, and even Jimmy. They’re always going to play a big part in my life, no matter what.”

“So what am I?” Jason steps closer to me and takes my hands in his. “What am I to you?”

“An ally, a friend maybe.”

“That’s it? That’s all I am to you?” I take my left hand out of his soft grip and place it on his cheek.

“That’s all you can be. I’m sorry Jason but I need to focus on other things right now. I can’t be in a relationship with anyone.”

“Especially me.” I don’t reply to his comment, instead I wrap my arms around him and give him a hug.

When I pull back I give him one final kiss goodbye. It’s chaste but long. I know after today I won’t see him for a long while. Maybe ever if things don’t go right for me in the future. “Goodbye Jason,” I whisper against his mouth before walking away.

I don’t look back as I leave the park. I don’t think I can.

**X**

After my talk with Jason, I had a relatively uneventful day. Drake was ignoring my texts, Barbara was busy, Maggie was still avoiding me, and there was no need for me to go grocery shopping. All-in-all, today had been a very slow day.

When I get home, there is a note from Elisabeth saying she would be at work until late. I go in by bedroom and drop my bag on my bed when my cell rings. “Hey Clark.”

_“Hey Linda. How’s your day been?”_

“Semi-slow.”

_“I know what you mean. Metropolis has been pretty quiet too. That’s why I decided to propose to Lois.”_

“That’s…I’m-I’m sorry. Did you say _propose_?”

 _“Yep, and guess what? She said yes.”_ I take the phone away from my mouth and let out a high-pitched squeal accompanied by a slow fist pump.

“That’s great, Clark,” I say as calmly as possible.

_“Right… So which are you more excited about, Lois marrying me or Lucy being your cousin-in-law?”_

“I didn’t even think about Lucy. Does she know yet?”

 _“Lois is telling her right now.”_ There’s a pause at the end of the line eventually followed by a chuckle from Clark. _“Much like you, she let out a squeal, minus of course the ability to shatter windows with it.”_

“Shut-up.

_“Make me.”_

“Don’t you dare, you know I can get to Metropolis in less than a minute.”

 _“You can try.”_ Suddenly, I hear Lois yell at Clark to stop being mean to me. I don’t bother hiding my laughter as Clark tries to justify his actions. When she’s done chewing him out, Clark promises to be nice to me if she’s nice to Lucy. That’s followed by Lois saying she’s always nice. Clark and I let out a snort of disbelief at the same time before I hear running and a door slamming on his side of the line.

“You locked yourself in the bathroom, didn’t you?”

_“I had to. A mad Lois Lane is like a Pit-bull on a pant-leg. She’ll never let go and she’ll never let-up. Sooo, other than a slow news day what happened?”_

“Nothing much. I went for a walk in the park with a new acquaintance andhadaruninwithJasonTodd.” I hope Clark’s super-hearing is not good enough to pick up the words I shot out at lightning speed but I know it is.

_“You what? Kara, are you out of your mind?”_

“No, but I think I’m getting there.”

_“Don’t be smart with me. You know how I feel about Jason Todd.”_

“Well you don’t have to worry anymore. I sent him away, permanently.”

 _“Kara, you killed him?”_ I stop walking and take the phone away from my ear, half-tempted to throw it out the window.

“No, I did not kill him. I made it clear he no longer stood a chance with me.” The line went silent for a while. I hear the sound of a door opening but nothing else for several minutes.

 _“I want you to leave Gotham,”_ he suddenly says.

“I’m not leaving Gotham, Clark.”

_“That place was Jason’s home for a long time.”_

“Yes, but he doesn’t live here anymore.”

“ _Doesn’t matter, it was his main territory.”_

“It’s Bruce’s too.” The line goes silent again for a brief moment as I leave my room. “So…I don’t see what the problem is Clark.”

 _“It’s still Jason’s main territory.”_ I want to argue back again that Gotham is actually Bruce’s city but it won’t help much. _“Kara, did you hear what I said?”_

“Yes I know what you said but that doesn’t mean I understand.” I do understand but I like to mess with Clark any chance I can.

 _“Kara! For the love of R… Look, I just want to make sure you’ll behave. You’re my baby cousin. If anything happens to you, I don’t know what I’d do. So please, PLEASE tell me you’ll behave and that you’ll come back to Metropolis as soon as you can.”_ I roll my eyes at the last part but agree to Clark’s terms.

“Fine, fine, I’ll behave.”

 _“Good, now about the wedding…”_ Clark goes on to tell me what Lois and his plans are. I faithfully listen when I hear the sound of movement outside my balcony. I heard a similar one when I left my room but didn’t think much of it since Bruce is still out-of-town. Using my x-ray vision, I subtly look through the balcony doors to see Batwoman out there. _“Anyway, it’s getting late. Love you, Kara.”_

“I love you too, cuz. Good night.” I close my cell phone and toss it on the couch and head to the kitchen to see if there’s anything to eat when my phone rings again. “Hello?”

_“Heya hot-stuff.”_

“Hi Lucy,” I say with a laugh.

_“It’s nice to hear from my favorite brunette.”_

“It’s good to hear from you too. Sorry about yesterday and this morning, I was busy with an emergency. A friend of Barb’s and a recent acquaintance of mine had an accident.” When I got back from Washington, Lucy emailed me that she wanted to meet-up in Metropolis. I told her I was too busy and would call her yesterday night and this morning. But after the Kate fiasco I didn’t get a chance.

_“Is she hurt? Did she have to go to the hospital?”_

“No she’s okay now. Just a bump on the head is all.”

 _“That’s good. Were you with her when she got hurt? How did it happen?”_ Sometimes I think Lucy would be just as good a reporter as Lois if she had the drive…and tact.

“Yeah, she tried to help me with something but my weight pulled her down and she banged her head on a desk. She was out half the day yesterday.”

 _“Oh, well tell her I hope she feels better.”_ While talking with Lucy, I decide to take my button-up shirt off. I haven’t forgotten about Batwoman. She’s here to observe me for some reason, might as well let her do her job.

“I don’t think that’ll be a good idea. She doesn’t know I told anyone else but Barb.”

_“Fine, but I want you to know I do care about your acquaintance and I’m not faking my sincerity.”_

“Good to know,” I say while pulling my shirt off. Now the only thing covering my upper body is my black camisole over my bra.

 _“By the way, I spoke to Cat Grant today._ ” I say something to let Lucy know I’m listening as I reach down to pull my shoes off. That’s when Lucy drops a bomb on me. _“She said Danny was making out with some brunette at Ace’s last night.”_

“What? There is no way that’s true.” Danny is Lucy’s recent beau and Ace of Diamonds is a new club down on 5th and Carlisle Ave. in Metropolis.

_“That’s what Cat said.”_

“Well we’ll see about that.”

_“Cool your jets, girl. He’s my problem, not yours. I’m meeting him for lunch tomorrow. I’ll have a talk with him then.”_

“Yeah, you darn right you should have a talk with him. There’s no way I would stay with a guy after he did that to me.” I feel slightly hypocritical since I did let Jason kiss me in Metropolis, even if I was planning on breaking-up with Wally soon.

_“It’s getting late love. I’ll talk to you later.”_

“Okay, good night Luce.” I realize I’m standing up, so I sit down and finish taking my shoes off.

 _“One more thing before I go. I looove yooouuu, Linda Lee-Danvers. And don’t you forget!”_ If Lucy is this goofy as my friend, I can’t wait to see how she changes when we’re actually related.

“I know, I know. I love you too, Lucy.” I hang up and reach down to take my socks off, then prop my feet on the coffee table. I’m about to lean back and relax when my phone rings again. “Ugh, really? Can’t a girl relax around here?” I grab the phone. “What?”

_“Someone’s been having a bad day.”_

I would know that tenor voice anywhere. “Oh, Bruce, hi."

 _“Hello Linda. How have you been?”_ As Batman, I have no doubt he knows about this morning and what I’ve been up to lately but as Bruce…as Bruce he’s just a guy asking a friend how her day went.

“I’m fine. How are you? You must be tired after that trip.” He’d only call if he was back in Gotham or at least in the States.

_“I’m fine. Things went smoothly. By the way, has Clark spoken with you yet?”_

“Yeah, Clark called about an hour ago. I had a very nice and _long_ conversation with him.” I agree with him when he says Clark is just being himself and lie on the couch. Then he asks me what kind of guy _he_ is.

“What kind of guy are you? Hmm, well I don’t rightly know. You’re a hard guy to peg down, Mr. Wayne.”

_“I can the say the same for you, Miss Danvers. Compared to most women, you’re quite an interesting girl.”_

“Is that why you like me so much, I make things interesting?”

_“That and amongst other things… Linda, the plane is about to take off. I’ll see soon.”_

“See you soon, Bruce. Be careful-oh, and tell Diana I said hi.” Bruce replies by telling me he will and a short story about how little Diana tends to wear at times. It makes me laugh.

“Well, how would you feel if a woman like Diana kept walking around the hotel naked-wait, never-mind don’t answer that.” Bruce laughs and tells me good night. “Good night, Bruce.”

 _“And Linda,”_ he takes a breath before continuing, _“I want you to know I miss you.”_ The smile I had on my face is gone as soon as Bruce says those words. I didn’t expect him to say that or anything even remotely close to that.    

“I miss you too, Bruce.” It’s true, I do miss him. To be exact, I miss his presence and knowing he’s in the same city as me. Right before I hang up, Batwoman moves away from the door. Using my super-speed, I hang up and move to the door to speak with her. “Did you enjoy the show?” She stops and turns around slowly.

“How long did you know I was here?”

“After I hung up on my cousin Clark.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I shrug my shoulders. “Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You disappeared after I last saw you and I didn’t know what happened.” I know she wants me to reply to that statement, give her some insight on what happened that night but I can’t. “And you’re not going to tell me what happened, are you?”

“Not really.”

“I see. I guess I’ll be off then.” She pulls her grappling gun out and aims for the building across the street.

“I hope to see you again Batwoman. We have a lot to talk about, you and I.”

She ignores me and fires off the hook. “We’ll see, Miss Danvers.” I watch her leap off my ledge and swing to the next building. When she swings around a second building, I go inside. As soon as I close the door behind me, Elisabeth walks in.

“What’s with the stupid grin?”

“I saw a bat.”

She raises an eyebrow at me then shakes her head while setting her backpack on the couch. “Okay, you’ve been in Gotham _way_ too long.”


	18. Chapter 18

“Kate was looking for you today.” I stop mid-swig to look at Barbara. She’s supposed to be focused on her crossword puzzle.

“What do you mean she was looking for me?”

“I mean there were moments when a tall brunette with curly-ish hair would walk by and she would watch them until they turned around. Kate’s good at many things but hiding disappointment is not one of them.”

Today was Kate’s book store opening. I would have gone but I opted to go to Washington and check on Kara In-Ze. She’s unconscious for most of my visits but Ivy and Manhunter have been taking care of her and they call me whenever she wakes. I wish she was talking and moving but healing takes time so I must be patient.

“Why would she care if I was there or not?”

Barbara taps her pen against her lips. “Hmm, well you did take care of her after knocking her out.”

“That was an accident,” I say defensively.

Barbara smiles and goes back to her puzzle. “It doesn’t matter. You took care of her.”

“You would have done the same.”

“Yeah, but I would have called Bette to keep an eye on her, not stay the night.”

“True, but if someone slammed their head into yours, what’s the chance of them getting a severe concussion?”

“Pretty small.”

“Exactly, besides I would’ve done the same for anyone.”

“Oh, I know. Just make sure Kate does.”

“What do mean?”

Barbara’s brow scrunches and she sets her pen down. “Oh come on, Linda. You’re not dense. You know exactly what Kate thinks of you.”

“What does she think of me?”

Barbara tilts her head then leans forward until her elbows are resting on the table. “You have no idea how she feels, do you?”

I sigh and close my eyes as I rub the bridge of my nose. “Please don’t tell me she has a crush on me.” Barbara doesn’t say anything and picks up her pen. “That’s not funny. How did that happen?”

“She probably took you being nice for flirting,” Barbara pushes her glasses up her nose and smiles. “Don’t you hate how that happens?”

“Yes and it’s been happening far too often. Do you think that means anything?”

“You mean, do I think you’re a flirt? No but I do think sometimes you get too nice too soon.”

“What the heck does that mean?”

“When you were younger you strove to make friends, sometimes at the expense of you getting your heart broken later on. A habit like that is hard to break.”

“So you think I’m subconsciously trying to make friends so fast that my friendliness is mistaken for fancying someone?” Barbara nods. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?”

I sigh and think about Barbara’s piercing, two-word question. “Maybe, maybe not. I guess I’ll have to tone it back.”

“Not necessarily. Just try to be more discerning with how you act around people. If you do that you should be able to keep this happening from again.”

“Probably. Then again I’m just so awesome it might be hard for me to do that.”

Barbara tosses a dirty napkin at me and I throw it back. “And I thought you were humble. Look, the best thing you can do about Kate is lay some ground rules. Let her know where you stand. You’re good at that. Don’t let her be an exception.” I take a bite of my sandwich when I get a text from Drake telling me a little birdie told him of a new meeting place. He gives me the coordinates to where we should meet; from there he’ll give me the location of the new safe-place.

“I’m thinking of getting Kate involved with the investigation. What do you think?” Barbara’s taken off-guard by this but she doesn’t show it except through her pen ceasing.

“The Intergang investigation?”

“Yep.”

“Why would you do that? You’ve got a bunch of birds helping you.” One would think Barbara was insulted by me wanting another investigator on top of having the Birds of Prey. But that’s not what it’s about. Batwoman has only been working with Batman for maybe a few months and Barbara still doesn’t fully trust her. There are some aspects of her investigating skills that worry Barbara and for good reason.

“Damian and Stephanie are busy with Clayface, Tim is with the Titans, Bruce just left again to handle Talia, and Dick is back in Bludhaven, but I don’t need to tell you that.”

Barbara sighs and sets her pen down. “What could Batwoman possibly add to the investigation?”

“She could find the witness.”

Barbara leans close to me and I lean in with her as she whispers harshly, “What is with you and this witness?”

“This person is the key to making or breaking this investigation. I need to know who they are. While the birds are busy with the inside and I’m busy with other angles, I need someone to get to Maggie.”

“I thought you had that covered?” I lean away from Barbara and take a swig from my bottle of root beer.

“She’s been blocking me out, as Supergirl _and_ as Linda.”

“Then why get Kate involved? Sawyer is not exactly a big fan of Batwoman.”

I give Barbara a sly smile, “no but she’s a big fan of Kate,” and she rolls her eyes.

“You know this won’t end well, right?” I sigh and set my bottle down.

“Probably not, but one does have to try.”

**X**

I decide to visit Kate as Supergirl. Having Linda ask her would be weird and it might cut me off from my investigation of her father. Supergirl is the more logical choice. When I land, I notice a Rubik’s Cube sitting on the table on her balcony. I pick it up and go through the cycle of mixing it up then solving it. Half-an-hour after I arrive I hear Kate enter her apartment then go into her bedroom. I continue messing with the Cube until I realize she’s about to leave the room. Not wanting to stay out here for hours, I give a quick puff of air and knock a ceramic gnome off the balcony of another building.

There’s movement in Kate’s room and the sound of a drawer opening then closing. “What the heck?” she says before throwing open the doors to her balcony. I can see out of the corner of my eye she’s in a state of shock with one hand gripping the towel around her body and the other holding a Taser. I look up from the cube and smile at her.

“Hello, Katherine Kane.”

“Um, hello Supergirl.”

“May I come in?”

“Uh-huh” I stand and notice she realizes I’m no longer in my diplomat uniform but in the traditional red and blue one. As I walk past her, I set the Rubik’s Cube in her hand.

“So, where should we start?”

“Excuse me?” Her voice shoots up several octaves and the high-pitched squeak bothers me. I also notice her heart rate shot up quite a bit.

I give her a sympathetic smile and cross my arms before saying, “Let me clarify. We need to talk…Batwoman.”

“How-”

“I peaked.” A look of shock flashes across her face and she immediately looks down at her towel but stops and makes eye contact with me.

“When?”

“The second night we worked together. Batman, Nightwing, Red Robin, Batgirl, and Robin all have lead-lined masks. Only you seemed to have missed the memo.”

“I just started working with them a month ago. Anyway, why would Batman and the others need a lead-lined mask?”

“It’s a precaution. After Superman peaked, Batman didn’t want to take the chance another member of the Super Family would come around and take a look too. And he was right to do so. After I first met him I looked, or tried to.”

“Do you do that to all the superheroes you work with?”

“No, Superman taught me better. But I had a feeling we would be working together again so I took the liberty. Sorry.” She nods then shifts her feet for the fifth time. Her heart rate is still high but it went down a smidge when I apologized to her. Perhaps talking with her while she’s just in a towel is making this situation more uncomfortable than it needs to be.

“I forgive you, now what do you want?”

“Don’t you think you should get dressed first?”

“Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“No, but it does you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Your heartbeat. It hasn’t slowed since you opened those doors.” Her heart beat shoots up again and I swear she’s on the verge of cardiac arrest.

“Fine, I’ll get a robe on.” She walks over to her closet and pulls out a long blue robe that is definitely more comfortable than my uniform, and my uniform fits pretty nicely. “You can wait in the living room for me.”

I thank her and make a joke about her having a butterfly tattoo before going to the living room. Since Supergirl has never been in Kate’s apartment before, I take my time looking at the walls and designs of it. I didn’t notice this last time but there is a distinct lack of photographs in her apartment. The only one I see is a picture of her and Bette at a beach.

I sit down on Kate’s couch. She chooses to sit across from me in a La-Z-Boy recliner. Her robe is wrapped tightly around her and she is sitting snugly in the chair. The fact she’s looking me over doesn’t go unmissed. This is not the first time someone has scrutinized me but it is one of the few times it’s made me uncomfortable; the first being Bruce and the other being Jimmy.

“It suits her,” she says under breath.

“What suits me?” I ask her.

“Dammit!”

“Nice language.” Kate sighs and rubs a hand across her face. I guess those two times she spoke weren’t supposed to be out loud.

“Your new suit, it gives you a friendlier atmosphere than your other one.”

“That’s because my other suit is meant for boring and professional occasions. I wasn’t allowed to change out of it until the peace talks were over.”

“And they’re over?”

“Yes, Wonder Woman did a lovely job of wrapping things up and Wonder Girl didn’t do too badly either.”

“What about you? How did you do?”

“Well I really didn’t do anything. I was simply there to be a third party observer.”

“With no personal interest in the matter?”

“Ha, not quite.”

“Wait, did you get that?”

“Yeah, it was a quote from She’s The Man. I like that movie.”

“Really? I can’t picture you chilling out in sweats with popcorn and watching it on the big screen.”

“I was actually eating gummy worms and the TV wasn’t that big.”

Kate smiles and crosses her arms and legs. “I like you like this.”

“Like what?”

“More relaxed, more playful.”

“Relaxed yes, playful? Hmm, that’s a side of me you'll probably never see.” The smile on Kate’s face falters slightly but I don’t comment on it.

“So what _do_ you want Supergirl?”

“I need your help with this Intergang situation. I already have someone helping me but there’s only so much she can do. I need your help, Katherine. I need the help of Batwoman.” The surprise on her face is evident, which is slightly odd. I would think it be obvious I wasn’t making a social call.

“What can _I_ do?”

“This is your city, we both know the witness is here in Gotham somewhere but I don’t know where. I would X-ray the city if I knew what he looked like, and Captain Sawyer is doing her best to not be too near the witness as to keep suspicion down.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“I want you to be my eyes and ears in this city.”

“Why me? Why not Batgirl or Robin? I even heard Batman is back in town.” This woman in front of me doesn’t feel like Batwoman. I figured Kate would jump at the chance to work with me; so either she’s being cautious or there is something else going on.

“I don’t want them, I want you.” A blush is creeping up her face and from the sound of her heartbeat she knows this. I’m also beginning to understand her hesitancy; she’s trying to gage my sincerity. I’ve never had someone do that to me before, not since Cassie, or Wonder Girl to be more specific. “Besides, I feel like this is more of a job for Batwoman than anyone else.” I wink at her then lean back into the couch.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Suddenly a high pitched whistling goes off. I know my conversation with Kate is over.

I stand up and bow. “Thank you Katherine. I appreciate this.” When I head off into the direction of her room and balcony, I can hear her following me and just as I step outside she grabs my arm.

“Wait, how do I get in contact with you if I have anything?” The whistling is getting worse. It has to be within three blocks of me for it to be this bad.

“Ask Oracle for the Reddner watch, she’ll know what you mean. But don’t tell her why, just that you need it.” She nods and releases my arm. “Sweet dreams, Katherine Kane.” And before you can say ‘Up, up, and away’ I’m gone and out of sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following few chapters are going to have some heavy mentions of almost rape and rape. Nothing is explicitly expressed, but the subject is talked about a bit the next few chapters (as will they come up a few chapters after that). This is fair warning that it will be talked about.  
> If you don't think I handled the subject well then let me know if possible. (Again, I'm not sure how this site works in terms of getting messages to authors.)


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!  
> The next few chapters will discuss rape and attempted rape.

As I suspected, she’s only a few blocks from Kate’s apartment. “Did you really have to use that to get in contact with me?” Her face is serious as she stands up and I land on the roof in front of her.

“I didn’t want to interrupt you,” she says as she turns off the Reddner watch.

“You were watching?”

“For about five minutes, until a half-naked red-head opened the door. Kate is her name?”

“Yes.”

“I take it she’s a mask.”

“Yes.” She nods her head and a rush of wind suddenly blows around us. Our blonde hair gets caught up with it and she wraps her arms around herself. “Cassie, why are you here?”

Cassie Sandsmark is five feet and seven inches tall with blonde hair and dark-blue eyes. She is the second person to take over the mantle of Wonder Girl, the first being Princess Donna; Diana’s younger sister. I don’t know much about Cassie and how she came to be Wonder Girl but I do know she’s around Stephanie Brown’s age and she’s always admired Diana and Donna. If I remember correctly, Cassie was 16 when she became Wonder Girl and Donna had just become Donna Troy. A year later I was kidnapped by Darkseid.

Cassie’s face turns sad as she sits down on the bench again. She rests her head in her hands and stays like that for a moment before finally making eye-contact with me. “Cassie, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” I sit down and go to pull her into a half-hug but she slides away from me.

“Because what I’m about to say isn’t easy.”

“What do you mean?”

Cassie wipes her tears away. “I think it’s time we tell Diana.”

“Tell her what?” Cassie gives me an incredulous look and I finally understand. “I see…and how long have you been thinking about this?”

“For about a month, maybe more.”

“Since the UN hearing?”

“It’s actually been longer than that but when the three of us were together it was on my mind all the time.” Cassie turns to me with tears in her eyes. I go to brush them away but she flinches back from me. “We need to tell her, Kara. I can’t keep going on like it never happened.”

“I know Cassie. I know.” Cassie’s hands are shaking slightly so I slowly reach out and take them in mine. “Cassie, are you one hundred-percent _sure_ you want to tell her?” Cassie simply nods and I let a hand slip away as I stand up and pull her with me. “Then we do it now. We go the Themyscira and tell her what happened that night.”

The look of fear on Cassie’s face tugs at my heart. “I want to tell her but do you think _now_ is a good time?”

“If we don’t do it now, we may never tell her and then it’ll be too late.”

“Too late for what?”

I sigh. “For everything.”        

**X**

Sitting in Diana’s bedroom is unnerving since what Cassie and I want tell her about took place in here. I’m sitting on the chest at the foot of her bed tapping my foot rapidly while Cassie paces the room. “What’s taking her so long?” she asks.

“Diana wasn’t here when we arrived. But now that she is, we simply have to wait for her to be debriefed by the queen. She has a duty to do, Cassie, before anything else.”

“Whatever. I just want to get this over with.”

“Me too.” Cassie looks at me briefly before opening the doors to the balcony and letting in the night air. I can hear the sound of water hitting the rocks and smell the salt of the sea and the plants that run along the edge of the island. Cassie steps out there and leans against the balcony. I make the decision to join her. “Do you remember when we first met?” Cassie shakes her head. “It was almost a month before I was kidnapped. You were working with the Teen Titans and Red Robin invited me to take a break from the Outsiders to work with you.”

“I remember now,” she says with a smile, “I was so jealous of you and how close you were to Superboy. Man was I stupid.”

“Maybe, but that didn’t give me the excuse to punch you.”

She turns to me. “Are you kidding me? I was so awful to you. That back-hand you gave me smacked some sense in me.”

“It did but it didn’t feel so great when Diana chastised the two of us for our behavior.” Cassie laughs. The wind blows her hair around her face and the moon makes the blonde tendrils look white. How much she has grown and changed in these past five years is more evident to me than ever before. She’s come a long way from the attitude-driven, smart-mouth girl to the mature young woman Diana would be proud to give over the role of Wonder Woman.

“Do you remember how red her face was?” I smile and nod. “It was so great. I mean not at the time but it was later.” Cassie notices the way I’m looking at her and her smile disappears. “Kara, are you okay?”

“Diana must be _so_ proud of you.” Cassie’s look of confusion turns into a soft smile with a touch of sadness in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Cassie. What I did to you five years ago must have ripped you to shreds.” A thought hits me as I’m talking. “Was it the reason you left the Titans?” When Cassie doesn’t look at me and chooses to look at the black water below us I get my answer. “Why?”

“You barely knew me, Kara. If you could hurt me the way you did,” her eyes lock with mine, “then what was there to stop Conner from doing the same?”

My mouth opens to answer her but nothing comes out; not a word, not a sound, not a breath. Cassie reaches up and brushes something off my face. When she pulls away I grab her hand and see it’s wet. I’m crying again and I know it has nothing to do with my changed physiology.

“Cass…” is all I can get out before she pulls me into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, _so_ sorry,” is all I can say while she holds me. It isn’t right that she’s the one that got hurt and _I’m_ the one getting comforted. I hug her in return but barely. The desire for her to know how sorry I am is much greater than the ways I can apologize to her. It’s not right.

“Am I interrupting something?” The voice startles the two of us and we break apart quickly. Standing in the doorway is Diana in her Wonder Woman uniform.

Cassie steps forward and says boldly, “Diana, we have something to tell you.” Diana raises an eyebrow but says nothing as she moves aside to let Cassie and me in her room.

**X**

Diana stands before us slack-jawed. To say it was obvious she had no idea what to expect when Cassie unloaded the information pertaining to that night on her is an understatement. It’s no secret I was unstable after I came back from Apokolips. However, that night was a good example on how well Desaad twisted my mind and my moral center. I was a murderer who loved to torture her victims relentlessly before I killed them. Perhaps that’s why Darkseid called me daughter; he could see the darkness and confusion sitting at my core and took advantage of it.

Even though he had Superman and Superboy in his custody, they were able to resist Darkseid’s and Granny Goodness’s efforts. Superman was able to because he had been brainwashed before and Superboy because something tied to Lex Luthor’s genetics kept him from succumbing. I, on the other-hand, was not as lucky because of how emotionally vulnerable I was. There were also other aspects at play in my torture that would not have had the same effect on Kal-El and Kon-El.

Once Cassie finishes speaking, Diana turns away from us. “Get out,” she says almost as a whisper. Cassie and I look each other in the eyes before Cassie speaks.

“Diana, don’t you have-”

“No. Now please leave. I need time to process this.”

Cassie looks down at her feet before nodding and getting up to leave the room. I can see the tears falling from her eyes as she closes the door behind her.

“Diana-”

“Get out,” she says quietly with her back to me still.

“Diana, _please_.”

“Get out,” she says more forcefully.

I sigh then move to the balcony so I can leave but stop before reaching the doors. “No.” Diana turns to me and the look in her eyes screams I better leave if I want to live. “Do _not_ blame Cassandra for what happened. It wasn’t her fault.”

“I am aware of whose _fault_ it is so please refrain from speaking.”

“I will _not_ because I know you. You’re making this as much as Cassie’s fault as it is mine and it’s _not_ her fault. _I_ was the one who hurt her.”

“I am _not_ blaming Cassie, but she should have-”

“Should have what? Cassie was barely eighteen Diana. She wasn’t strong enough.”

“She was a trained warrior.”

“She was a child! She didn’t stand a chance against me!”

“Are you questioning my ability to train Amazons?!”

“No! I’m telling you I was a _monster_! A child cannot fight a monster, _especially_ one who was trained by Desaad, the biggest masochist in all the galaxies!”

Some time during this argument, Diana and I move close enough to where we are less than a foot from each other. Once I mention Desaad, Diana moves past me to open the doors to the balcony. She steps out there and I go to stand with her but opt out and choose to stand in the doorway instead.

“After I saw those scars on Cassie’s leg,” says Diana after a long silence. “I asked her about them but she said it happened during a battle with the Titans. She _had_ just come from a mission with them, I had no reason to think otherwise…but I _knew_ something was wrong. I should have pressed more. I should have known.”

“Diana, you couldn’t have known. Cassie was covering it up because she didn’t want you to think she was weak and _I_ never said anything because I barely remember that night. It wasn’t until the nightmares that things came back.”

Diana turns around with a question in her eyes. “You said they all had to do with Apokolips?”

“Not all of them. _That_ nightmare came after I started my therapy sessions with Doctor McCoy.”

“ _After_ you tried to commit suicide.”

“M-hm.”

Diana turns from me and leans against the balcony while resting her head in her hands. “How much of that night do you remember?”

“At first it was only the aftermath. Once the nightmares kicked in bits and pieces came but not everything. Cassie’s been living with the whole thing for over five years.”

“It takes a lot of strength to hold something like that in.”

“No,” I’m next to Diana now and she looks at me, “it takes a lot of _fear_ to hold it in. It takes a lot of _strength_ to keep it from crushing you. Cassie is _much_ stronger than I am.”

“But Cassie’s never been tortured by Desaad.”

“Or raped by his minions,” Diana flinches at the word ‘rape’, but more in anger than anything else. “But that doesn’t discount how strong she is _or_ how well you trained her.” Diana smiles sadly and stands up straight before gazing at the stars above us.

“It’s getting late. You should leave. Get some sleep.”

I give her a slight bow. “Yes princess.” Diana smiles again and gently lays a hand on my left cheek. She has her worried face on. I’ve seen this face multiple times but never in such a way where I feel my heart break.

“You’ll come back?”

“I promise.” I smile and step out of her embrace.

As soon as my feet leave the ground, Diana grabs my hand. “Wait. Stay. I want to hear how you’ve been lately.” This shift in emotion is unexpected but as my feet touch the ground I begin to understand her thought process, or try to. The main reason is Diana still has questions, and perhaps she feels it would be best to ask me them before speaking with Cassie.

“On one condition.”

“What?”

“You talk to Cassie tonight _and_ in the morning. She’s broken, Diana. And right now she really needs you. It’s not right that she dwells on what took place tonight.” Diana’s smile falters but she agrees. “Good. Now do you still have those silk pajamas I bought you?”

“In the back of my closet.”

“Good,” I walk away from Diana and go inside to get changed, “because the last thing I need is to wake-up next to a naked Amazon again.” Diana’s laughter echoes throughout the room as she closes the balcony doors. Once we’re changed, Diana takes a breath and leaves the room. An hour later she comes back.

“How did it go?” I ask when she closes the door behind her.

The look she gives me tells me that whatever happened was between Cassie and her. I understand and don’t push beyond that. But now, not it’s my turn to answer questions. They come at me full-force. If they pertain to Cassie, I tell Diana to ask the younger Amazon those questions, but I answer all the others. The one question that takes me by surprise is one most people won’t ask so bluntly, but Diana isn’t most people.

“Do you still have nightmares about your rape?” Diana is sitting with her back against the bottom-left post of her bed while I’m sitting with my back to the headboard.

“Sometimes. When the anniversary of my kidnapping grows close. Most of the time they’re about the things I did, not the things done to me.”

“Do you still talk to Doctor McCoy?”

I’m surprised Diana brings up Ailish. She’s not a particular fan of the doctor for whatever reason. Perhaps because there are things I’ve told Ailish I’ve never told Diana. It’s not because I don’t trust Diana but because I don’t want to hurt her. There are things that course through my heart and head that would devastate her, especially the secret that’s eating me up inside that has to do with me getting weaker. Ailish knows about what’s destined to come but Diana is out of the loop; as is Bruce, who I still need to speak to.

“Not face-to-face but she emails me every day. Sometimes it’s a link to her blog and sometimes it’s just her checking up on me. I particularly like it when she sends Bible verses. They always hit me at the core and make me think.”

“I’m glad she’s helping you.” I smile and snuggle deeper into the bed.

“Me too.”


	20. Chapter 20

The feel of the warm sun on my skin wakes me up. I stretch my entire body and look to my left to see a sleeping Diana. The sun hasn’t reached her face yet and it looks peaceful in the shadows of her bedroom. I get out of bed slowly, careful not to wake her, and pad over to the closet to get some clothes. In the back corner of her closet is a section of clothes just for me. I pick a short, white tunic, a brown belt, and some sandals, the typical clothes of an Amazon.

I close the door to her bedroom behind me and head to the downstairs kitchen. I’m almost to the stairwell when I pass by Cassie’s bedroom door. “It’s now or never.” I knock on the door. When no one answers I open it and go inside. Cassie’s bed is empty; in fact, it doesn’t even look slept in. “Cassie?” I move closer to the bed and notice the doors to her balcony are open.

Cassie is leaning against the stone banister and watching the sunrise. She shifts her feet when she hears me come up behind her but stays where she is. “Didn’t get much sleep, did you?” I ask.

“I came out here to think and fell asleep on the floor. I woke when the sun started coming up.”

“Same. Except for the floor thing.”

Cassie turns her body towards me and leans against the banister on her left side as I come up next to her. “How’s Diana?”

“Asleep.”

“Long night?”

“We talked for a while.”

“About?”

“You, me, the future, what happened on Apokolips.”

“Sounds like a heavy and long conversation.”

“It was.”

Cassie looks out at the sea and smiles softly. “Diana is planning on talking to me today, isn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“What should I say?”

“The truth.”

“And what is truth, Kara?”

“Truth is absolute, Cassie. It’s unchanging.”

“They say there are no absolutes. They say that truth is relative.”

“Who are ‘they’?”

Cassie laughs and shakes her head. “No idea but I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

I smile and watch as a bird dives into the water and comes back out with a fish in its beak. “What are your plans for today?”

“Chores, studying, more chores, another talk with Diana apparently, and the Titans want me to go on a mission with them.”

My ears perk up at that. “Really? On whose command?”

“Victor’s.”

Victor Stone, aka Cyborg, has been a member of the Teen Titans since its inception, along with Time Drake (Red Robin), and Cassie. Since then, they’ve gained Superboy, Ravager, Raven, Beast Boy, Miss Martian, and Kid Devil. They have honorary/temporary members like Batgirl (Stephanie Brown), Robin, and Impulse to name a few. If my memory serves me correctly and it usually does, Victor is closer to my age than Cassie.

“It’s nice to see you working with a group again. You’ve mostly been by yourself – with the exception of those two months with the Outsiders – since that night.”

“You did tell me I was a danger to people and I would get them killed…more or less.”

“I said that?” Cassie notices my confusion and she’s confused because of it.

“You don’t remember?”

“Not that part. Cassie what else hap-” My attention gets pulled elsewhere when the sound of Diana leaving her room hits my ears.

“What is it?”

“Diana’s awake. We should go get breakfast.” I lead Cassie back inside and to the door of her bedroom. She calls out to me before I open it.

“Are we going to continue this before you leave?”

I smile. “Of course, just as soon as I get some food in my stomach.” Cassie laughs and closes her bedroom door behind us.

**X**

“Then right before he could attack me, I SPUN AROUND and ran my blade through him.” Artemis is regaling the younger Amazons with tales of her battles. One of them, a short raven-haired girl, has the misfortune of being an example of the man and has to flinch back to keep Artemis from almost stabbing her with the sword.

I’m hidden in the shadows of a coliseum entrance watching the spectacle in front of me. After breakfast I left Cassie to her chores and Diana to her studies because Io wanted my opinion on a new armor she was working on. I spent the early morning making sketches. I let Io get to work on them after she suggested I watch Artemis train the young ones. When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find her telling stories instead of fighting.

“It never ceases to amaze me.” I acknowledge Hippolyta’s arrival by giving her a slight bow. She gives me a respectful nod in return and stands next to me. “When Artemis first volunteered to train the younger sisters, I was worried. However, after watching her work with them my worries have subsided.”

I silently agree with the queen and watch as Artemis tells another story. This one requires the help of three girls with her choice of weapon being a whip. “It’s a training exercise. She’s giving them a scenario that makes them think on their feet. The others get to watch and critique without even realizing it.”

“Impressive. It took Cassandra two training sessions to figure that out and Diana one. You did it in less than an hour.”

“In their defense, they don’t have a solar-powered brain.” Hippolyta smiles softly and opens her mouth to speak when a yelp snaps our attention back to the girls. Artemis proved too good at the whip and cracked a girl across the calf. “Not even Epione can heal that. It’s going to leave a scar.”

“Yet that scar will become a mark of pride.” Hippolyta is right. Once the bandages go on, she’ll talk to all her elders and peers about how she was marked by the whip of Artemis.

“I hope the others don’t attempt to get the same mark. That would prove Hades right.” Hippolyta flinches slightly at the god of the underworld’s name and asks me to explain my statement. “He once told me all Amazons are secretly masochists.”

“Hm… In some ways that could be true. We do look forward to a good battle.”

“That doesn’t make you a masochist, Queen Hippolyta. That makes you a warrior.” Hippolyta smiles again then turns away from Artemis and the girls. I follow. “I must say this Queen Hippolyta, one of these days a girl will ask where she came from and not accept the tale that the gods sent them.”

Hippolyta stops and looks down at me. Like Diana, she is around six feet tall, if not more. “And what do you suggest I tell them? The truth?”

 “Yes.”

“I cannot.”

“Ignorance in _not_ always bliss, Hippolyta, it’s dangerous. They must know.”

“No, we cannot break that picture.”

“That picture will break the moment they go on a ship for the first time, have sex with a man in hopes of conceiving, and then have to kill him.”

“That has not been required since right after Diana left the island.”

“But it will happen again soon. You and I both know that.”

Hippolyta’s face softens from anger to sadness. “I spoke with Athena shortly after you arrived with Cassandra. They accepted your request. They will not lend a hand in the battle if Diana calls for them.”

“And what did they say about that?”

“According to Athena, Ares thinks you are a fool, Aphrodite admires you, and Dionysus and Demeter want to plan the decorations. Then there is Hades who looks forward to seeing you, Poseidon and Zeus are indifferent, and Hera trusts you know what you are doing.”

“And Athena?”

“She respects you and your bravery.”

“There is nothing brave about what I’m going to do. It’s practically suicide.”

“If that was true then Athena would not have given me _this_ to give to you.”

I didn’t notice it before but Hippolyta had a golden necklace in her right hand. She hands it to me and I look it over. The chain is as thin as spider’s silk yet strong enough that when I apply the slightest pressure it neither bends nor breaks. Hanging from the chain is a tiny sword made of yellow and white gold with a matching shield that has Athena’s emblem on it. This is the work of Hephaestus.

“I see Hephaestus has prepared some things as well.”

“He likes to have a hand in everything.” I agree with her then we continue to walk together and talk about what man’s world has been up to. When we pass by the cliff that overlooks the water by the palace, I notice Cassie sitting on the stone bench that sits on the edge. I don’t have to say anything to the queen. She noticed her too and silently allows me to leave her presence.

“I take it you’ve already had that talk with Diana.” Cassie doesn’t even move when I sit down on the bench with her. “How did it go?” She shrugs her shoulders and shifts away from me.

“That well huh? And I thought Diana would be more understanding.”

“That’s the problem. She was.”

I frown. “I don’t get it.”

Cassie turns to me with tears in her eyes. “She was perfect. I told her everything and mean _everything_. How no one was in the palace because they were all celebrating. How I went to check up on you and you snapped. How you almost... _almost_...hurt me.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is rape.” Cassie flinches at the word. “Why can’t you say that word?”

“Because it’s an ugly word.”

“It’s an ugly deed done by an ugly heart. And it almost happened to you. If you hadn’t stopped me, if _you hadn’t_ snapped me out of it then I would have. That I much I remember. The darkness, the hate, the depravity.”

“It wouldn’t have been your fault. You weren’t you.”

“Yes I was. Don’t you get it? No one can turn you into something you’re not. They can only bring out what is already there. Desaad knew this, Granny Goodness knew this, and Darkseid knew it. If there wasn’t some darkness already in me then I would’ve been able to resist, so don’t you dare say that, _don’t you dare_ blame yourself for what happened. You did nothing wrong and you did _not_ ask for it.”

Cassie goes silent for a moment before looking me in the eyes and whispering, “Desaad is a master of torture.”

“Yeah, but he didn’t move my hand against you that night. That was all me.”

“True.” Cassie looks out at the water. I stare at it with her for a short time until she breaks the silence. “But just so you know, it wasn’t your fault for what _he_ did to _you_.”

“Which part? The torture or the gang rape?” I try to joke about it. I try to make it come out light-hearted but I can’t so it comes like a sob at the end.

Cassie pulls me into a tight hug and holds me while I let out five years of pain, sadness, and denial. Denial that kept telling me what happened was a dream. It happened to someone else and not me; that my virginity wasn’t taken by monsters in a dark hole in Desaad’s torture dungeon. But one can only do that for so long before one breaks.

Once I stop crying, I pull out of Cassie’s embrace slightly and rest my head on her shoulder. “ _You’re_ the one I hurt, and _I’m_ the one getting comforted. How messed up is that?” Cassie laughs and hugs me tighter to her.

“I think we _both_ need a little comfort right now.”We watch a few birds dip into the water for fish as she rubs my back. I’m emotionally drained and the pull of sleep is strong.

When I open my eyes, I notice I’m no longer outside but in a bedroom. Based upon the color scheme and the design of the room, I know I’m in Cassie’s bed and not Diana’s. “This is a first.”

“What is?” Cassie just came in the room with a bowl in her hands.

“That I’m waking up in a bed other than mine or Diana’s.”

“Really? Do tell…” I notice the suppressed smile on Cassie’s face as she hands me the bowl, which I realize has grapes in it.

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Those thoughts.”

“What thoughts?” I smile and go to answer but she shoves a grape in my mouth. “Shut. Up.” I take a grape and toss it at her but she catches it and pops it in her mouth. When Cassie sits on the bed, I scoot over to make room for her. She sits crisscross with her back against the headboard like me. The bowl is sitting in my lap and Cassie reaches over to grab another grape when she says, “At least you didn’t wake up next to a naked Diana.”

“One time! That happened one time!” She starts to laugh and soon we’re both having a laughing fit when Diana walks in. She’s a little confused at the sight in front of her but soon it shifts to happiness as she sits on the foot of the bed and waits for us to get control of our bearing again.

“Are you two done, or do I need to wait some more?”

“We’re,” Cassie lets out a snort and we’re at it again. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for us to get in control. “Sorry. We’re fine now.” Diana looks at me. I merely nod and stick a grape in my mouth to keep from smiling.

“Good, because it’s time for Kara to go. Oracle called on your feed and told me she wants to meet in Gotham.”

“What time is it in the States?” I ask.

“Close to lunch. If you leave now you won’t be that late.” I nod and get out of bed. Once I reach the bedroom door a thought pops in my head and I turn back to the two Amazons.

“Hey Diana, can Cassie come?”

**X**

Cassie and I touch down on the docks and slip into an empty Wayne Enterprises warehouse to get changed. While I have to change my entire look, Cassie simply slips a blood-red dress-shirt over her Wonder Girl top and a pair of D&G sunglasses on her face; the lucky duck. Once I’m dressed, we hop on the motorcycle I stash in the warehouse and head to the city. I drop her off at my apartment but not before I get a call from Barbara on my Bluetooth. She wants me to come by the diner and have lunch with her and Kate.

When Cassie gets off the bike she hands me the Reddner watch. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Letting her have the watch I mean.”

“To be honest, I have no idea but I told her to ask Oracle for it in order to get in contact with Supergirl. I can’t go back on my word.”

“But you never gave it.”

“But I’d rather not give Kate an excuse to bug Barbara.”

“So you say, but why do I feel like there’s more going on?” I smile and slip the watch into the inside pocket of my jacket.

“Because there is.” Cassie rolls her eyes and slips her sunglasses up on her head. “You have my number if anything happens.”

“Like I’d need your help.”

“You never know. Something could happen.”

“Well _if_ it does and I do mean _if_ , then I’ll give you’re a holler.” I smile and put my helmet on. “Don’t forget. We still need to finish our talk.” I tap my helmet to show I heard her. She waves goodbye and steps back from me as I take off to the diner.

It takes me half-an-hour to reach the diner and another fifteen minutes to find a place to park. I finally find a spot two blocks from the diner. Thankfully, it’s not meter parking. I lock my helmet to the bike and do a brisk walk to the diner. When I get close enough, I can see Barbara sitting by the window. She acknowledges my approach with her eyes then goes back to talking with the person sitting across from her, presumably Kate.

“I’ll get you the watch, Kate. I just need to ask someone for it,” says Barbara just as I enter the diner.

“Who?”

“Hey guys, did I miss anything?” Kate jumps at the sound of my voice and turns around to look at me.

“Nothing much,” says Barbara. I grab a chair from an empty table and sit at the end of their table. A waitress comes over and I order a hot chocolate.

“I was never one for coffee,” I tell Kate.

Once the waitress is gone, Barbara asks me a question. “Hey Linda, you know that watch you-know-who gave you, do you still have it?”

“Yeah”

“Great, I need it. Can you spare it for a few nights?”

“Sure.” I take the watch off my right wrist and hand it to Barbara. Out of the corner of my eye I can see that Kate recognizes the watch because her eyes get wider.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” When the waitress brings my cocoa and I take sip of it, I try not to spit it back out. It is _definitely_ not the best cocoa I’ve ever had; in fact, it may be one of the worst. “I’ve had better.” Kate laughs and takes a sip of her coffee when Barbara’s cellphone goes off.

“Hello?... Okay, I'll be right there.” She hangs up. “I’ve got to go. My father needs me for something. I’ll see you two another time.”

As Barbara wheels out the door, I follow her. “Was that really your father who called?” I ask once we’re outside.

“Yeah. He says he has a surprise for me and I should come home and see what it is.”

“Isn’t he in the middle of work right now?”

“Yeah, but obviously whatever it is, it’s big. He wouldn’t be calling otherwise.” I nod then kiss Barbara on the cheek. As she rolls away I head back into the diner. Kate is pretending like she wasn’t watching us and asks me about the Reddner watch.

“It’s a long story,” I say before putting my chair back at its rightful table and sitting in the chair opposite from Kate.

“I’ll take the cliff notes version.”

“My ex got it from Star Labs. He used it to get in contact with someone. Later on, he gave the watch to that someone, who gave the watch to someone else, who gave the watch to me for safe keeping.” I leave out the part where I gave it to Cassie in case she ever needed my help while in the States.

“Forget it, I want the long version.”

“Ha-ha. Look all I can tell you, is that it’s for contacting someone important.”

“I understand, and you trust Barbara with it?”

“I trust Barbara with my life. So I think I can trust her with a watch.” I smile at Kate and she smiles back. We sit there in silence for a little while, doing nothing but enjoying each other’s company when Kate asks me a question.

“You didn’t come to my store opening yesterday.” I only half-hear what she says, mostly because I’m focused on a certain blonde in jeans flying across the sky. I leave her alone for less than an hour and she’s already getting into trouble. “I said-”

“Oh, sorry about that,” I finally say. “I make it a habit to never go to opening days. There are always too many people. I was going to visit your store today but Barbara invited me for lunch and said you would be joining us. I thought I would have lunch with you today then go to your store afterwards. If that’s okay with you?”

“That’s fine.” When I smile at Kate she begins to blush and her heart rate increases. That’s when it finally hits me. I mean, I thought Barbara was joking when she talked about Kate, or that it would have passed by now. But it hasn’t. The blushing, the increased heart rate, the random humming and squeaks, the trembling when I wrote on her hand, the shivering when I brushed against her arm, and the strange reactions to certain spoken phrases; all of it.

 

Katherine Kane has a crush on me. Fan-freakin-tastic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may think that Kara and Cassie moved on fairly quickly, but the two of them still have a lot of talking/healing to do (and the same goes for Diana and Cassie). And some of that healing might not happen before the end of this story. Y'all are going to have to wait and see.


	21. Chapter 21

Kate and I finish lunch rather quickly. We leave as soon as we’re done eating and head back to her shop. As soon as she opens the door and walks in, I make a beeline for the book shelves.

“Katherine, this is fantastic!” I yell from behind the stacks. Kate laughs then turns on the television. The channel is on PGN (Planet Global Network) news, and from the sound of it Cat Grant is doing her daily news feed. When I come out from behind the shelves, I can see she’s reporting on the explosions in Suicide Slums. The call for help came across my Justice League com-link earlier but before I could respond, Superboy said he would take care of it.

Kate is paying attention to the television so when I speak she jumps slightly. “That’s Cat Grant, took over for William McCoy a few years back. I’ve always liked her nose for news but in person she’s kind of annoying at times. Half the time Lois wants to rip Cat a new one. Of course Clark is there to intervene.”

“Lois, as in Lois Lane?” I figured since she’s an investigator, Kate would know who I associate with but maybe she’s not as interested in Linda as she is in Supergirl.

“Mhm, she’s Clark’s girlfriend, fiancée now. Runs the digital division there. Pretty much the producer. Clark prefers to work with newspaper division.”

“And Clark’s your cousin?” I can’t tell if she’s playing dumb because she can’t let me know she’s Batwoman, or she honestly forgot the conversation I was having with him a few nights ago.

“Yep. He’s the cousin I used to visit in Smallville.” Kate looks like she’s about to say something but my attention gets called to the screen.

 _“Here is the footage from earlier today,”_ says Cat.

The clip starts off with some girl filming and narrating footage of Suicide Slums. “I know that voice,” I tell Kate. “That’s Lucy’s.”

Suddenly, an explosion happens across the street. She falls back slightly but recovers and heads towards the explosion. Just as she hits the sidewalk, another building explodes half a block down the street, then another, then another. The entire area is on fire. The next explosion knocks Lucy on the ground. I can feel the heat rise behind me eyes and my grip on Kate’s counter tightens to the point where I’m compressing the metal. I know it is past footage, but I still find myself praying for Lucy’s safety.

To my relief, the camera slowly rises and continues filming. It turns to the sky and I see a streak go across it. Superboy, like usual, makes a harsh landing and starts putting out the fires. No matter how many times Clark and I chastise him he still causes some level of damage when he lands. When all is said and done, the fires are out and those who were in the street are clapping and cheering. In the corner of the video I see a hand move and hear a loud whistle.

“That’s my girl, that’s my Lucy.” I loosen my grip on the counter and my heart rate slows down. An elated feeling fills me as the tape goes on for a few more seconds before it cuts back to Cat. I don’t bother listening and grab my cellphone to call Lucy. After four rings she picks up.

“Hello? Oh Lucy, thank the Lord you’re okay.”

_“I guess this means you saw the news, huh? Good timing right?”_

“Mhm, I just saw it. You were definitely in the right place at the right time.”

_“I’d say so. After Superboy left I called Lois and gave her the exclusive. After she chewed me out, she gave me a hug and got my story.”_

I keep talking to Lucy like a preppy school girl until I’m amongst the book again. There, the elated feeling goes away and I start talking straight to her. “Luce, before you get out another word, I just gotta say my heart stopped when that explosion knocked you down. I thought the worse.”

_“Sorry girl. I was only there to do a mini-documentary on the homeless. The explosions weren’t on the to-do list.”_

“Do they know what caused them?”

_“If by ‘they,’ you mean the police and firefighters, then no. Lois has her theories though.”_

“Let me guess, they all revolve around Lex Luthor.”

_“Pretty much. I keep reminding her he’s in jail and those explosions wouldn’t benefit him much but she’s still holding on. Clark thinks it has to do with Intergang.”_

“That’s a lot more plausible than Lois’s theory. Though they’re usually not this open with their attacks. There’s gotta be something or someone else at play.”

_“Clark thinks so too.”_

“Good, good.” Lucy and I talk more about the story and the different humanitarian projects she’s working on when she throws an idea at me.

_“Hey Linda, you know how Colonel Kane does that fundraiser for the women’s homes and the VA?”_

“Yeah.”

_“Do you think it would be okay if I come to Gotham for a little bit? You know I’ve never been and I’ve always wanted to go. Besides, Lois says I need to take some time off and rest a bit.”_

I want to tell Lucy that Kane has been neglecting his duties to the women’s shelters but there’s no reason for me to pop that bubble just yet. “Usually the Daily Planet doesn’t cover the fundraiser, only PGN does, but I’ll see if Perry or Cat can get me in.”

_“Cool. When is the fundraiser?”_

“A week from now.”

 _“Great, I’ll talk it over with Lois. Maybe if Perry says yes to the DP covering the event, I can go with Jimmy on its expense.”_ Leave it to Lucy to find a way to not have to pay for something. Wait a minute…

“What makes you think Perry will send Jimmy?”

_“Because you two work together well **and** you have a history **and** he’ll probably volunteer **and** -”_

“Okay, I get it, I get it.” I leave the bookshelves and head back to the register. Kate was flipping through the channels but stopped halfway through my conversation with Lucy.

_“I’ll call Lois and let her know our plans.”_

“Okay, I'll see you then.” We chat for a bit more and then I hang up. I look over at Kate and give her a big smile.

“What’s got you so happy?” she asks.

“Lucy. Lois wants her to take a break after what happened today so she’s on her way here.” The brief falter in Kate’s smile does not go unmissed by me.

“That’s great.” She’s not happy.

“It really is, and you’ll like her. Everyone likes Lucy.”

“If you like her, I’ll like her.” I think she’s jealous.

“Cool.” I slip my phone in my pocket and lean on the counter. “So…”

“So…” The confusion on Kate’s face is evident.

“So…I like the books you have. I would get a few but I’m already so busy with work and books I still need to read.”

“Well, when you’re not busy and done with those books, you know where to find me.”

“Yep.”

Kate starts talking again but my hearing picks up a distress call. “Linda, are you okay?”

“Huh?” The call is from Cassie.

“I said are you-”

“Hey Kate, I-I’ve gotta go. I’m sorry but something important just came to mind.”

“What? Like a story?”

“Something like that. I need to go. Sorry...” I don’t even finish my sentence and run out the door. If Cassie is calling for help, the situation cannot be good.

**X**

Five hours later, Cassie and I hobble down the hallway to my apartment. Well, it’s more like Cassie is hobbling and I’m supporting her. “I told you going after its knees was a bad idea.”

“How was I supposed to know that?”

“By me saying ‘stop, don’t go for the knees’.” Cassie leans on me a little more as I unlock my door. “At least he only cracked your knee. It could’ve been your head if he had struck a moment sooner.”

“You mean if _I_ hadn’t moved a moment sooner.” I look Cassie in the eyes, our faces a mere inch or two from each other, and raise an eyebrow at her.

“After he kicked you through that wall, you slowed down. In other words, I stand by my statement.” I open the door and help Cassie to the couch. “It’s a good thing you’re staying with me for a few days. Otherwise, we would be forced to explain to Diana how you got injured.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she leans against the couch with one hand and looks at me, “she probably saw the news anyway.”

“Well let’s hope not for our sake.”

I go to the kitchen and grab an ice pack and my last root beer from the fridge. I help Cassie onto the couch then hand her the root beer. She pops it open as I shift her so I can sit on the couch while her leg is stretched across my lap. Carefully, I roll her pant leg up and set the pack on her knee.

“You know, you could probably use your super breath and heat vision to take care of it.”

“A, I’m not an Icy Hot Pack and B, that would only work if your muscles were sore. Unfortunately, the bone is cracked and even an Amazon doesn’t heal that quickly.”

“I would if I was on Themyscira.”

“Oh, so do you want me to leave and explain to Epione, Diana, _and_ Hippolyta how you got your butt kicked by an overgrown…whatever that was?” I say with a wave of my hand. Cassie purses her lips and takes a swig of root beer. “That’s what I thought. You’ll have to make do with good ole’ fashion healing.”

“Whatever. Wait-ow!”

“ _Try_ not to move.”

“Whatever. Don’t you have that super-quickie, Kryptonian healer stuff?”

“Super. Quickie. Kryptonian healer stuff.” I rub the bridge of my nose and pull my glasses off. “First off, it’s a special Kryptonian salve and second, yes. However, I only have so much right now. I’d rather use it for emergencies.”

“This is an emergency!”

“It’s just a crack. A week or so in a cast will take care of it.”

“A week!” Cassie flinches again as she shifts her leg. “I can’t stay off my knee for a week!”

“Be glad you’re Amazonian. If you were a normal human it would be longer.”

Cassie crosses her arms and pouts like a three year-old. “It’s not fair.” I tilt my head and pout in return. She looks up and tries to resist my puppy-dog look but soon a small smile forms on her lips. I push my lip out more and make a whimpering noise. Her smile widens and she rolls her eyes at me. “I hate how that always works.”

“Don’t feel so bad, not even Jimmy could resist that look.”

“Oh, so only Jimmy and me can’t resist you?”

“Actually, you and Jimmy are the only ones I ever use it on. But with Jimmy I only used it twice on him. And that’s when we were dating.”

“I guess that makes me special.”

I smile and pat Cassie on her thigh. “Very… Look if getting better quickly means that much to you, I’m sure I can spare a little bit of the salve.”

“Thank you.” I gently move Cassie’s leg off my lap and go my bedroom. The healer’s kit is underneath my bed in a black doctor’s bag. It doesn’t take long for me to mix the amount of salve needed. I grab a wooden bite stick from the bag too and walk back to the living room.

“Here, you’ll need this.” She looks at the stick pointedly.

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. This isn’t just a sprain, Cassie. It’s working on broken bone. Plus, I _really_ don’t want you screaming. That’s the _last_ thing I need my neighbor’s to hear.”

“Why? Has it happened before?” I rub the bridge of my nose again as Cassie smiles at me.

“Just put the stick in your mouth.” She follows my orders then gives me a wink, proud that her innuendo ruffled some feathers. “Keep smiling. You won’t when this hits your knee.”

“I dou-Ugh!” Cassie’s back arches as soon as the salve touches her knee. I can hear the wood crack as her jaw tightens. Her fist starts banging against the edge of the couch and I grab it to keep her from breaking it. We stay in this position for one or two more minutes until she finally starts to relax. The salve only took a minute to work but the pain tends to stick around longer. A nasty aftereffect I’ve yet to stop.

“Cassie, you okay?” I brush her hair from her face and she nods.

“Why does it hurt so much?” she pants out.

“Impurities. On Krypton it only stung a little but since I can only use what Kal grows in his garden at the fortress, I had to improvise. On top of it, your body isn’t used to healing at such an accelerated rate. Sorry.”

Cassie grabs the hand that’s running through her hair and holds it. “It’s okay. Here’s your bite stick back.”

I laugh a little and take it from her. “You cracked it.”

“You sound surprised. It was either bite harder or scream.” Cassie winks at me and I pull my hand away.

“This is why I rarely hang out with you outside of Themyscira. Always with the innuendos.”

“I thought it was darker reasons.” She tries to make the comment sound light but the implications are there.

The smiles are gone and I let out sigh. “We _do_ need to finish our talk.”

“I know. Just not tonight.”

“Cassie.”

“ _Please_.” It’s not like Cassie to plead for anything, so I comply and let it go for now.

“Okay. Not tonight, but _definitely_ tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.”

I jump when the Justice League communicator goes off in my ear. I forgot it was still there. _“Supergirl, I need your help.”_

I know that voice. “Since when does The Question need help?”

_“Since Kate’s injured.”_

The fact she didn’t say Batwoman lets me know she knows Supergirl is friendly with Kate. It shouldn’t surprise me. There’s a reason the first Question chose the Gothamite ex-detective as his successor.

“What happened?”

 _“A group of thugs got the better of her. I need you to get here and use that Kryptonian balm on her.”_ I have no idea where she got that information from. It’s not like I use it often.

“I’m a little busy at the moment.” I look at Cassie and see she’s resting with her eyes closed. “It might take a while.”

“ _How long are you going to be?”_

Cassie opens her eyes and gives me a weak smile. “Not sure. My friend deserves some attention at the moment.”

_“I understand.”_

I sit on the coffee table and brush my fingers through Cassie’s hair. She closes her eyes again and starts to hum. “Plus, she’s a bit banged up herself. You can see my predicament.”

_“Yes, that would be difficult to get out of.”_

 “However, you asked for help so I’ll give it. I just need some time to prepare.”

_“Fine, I'll watch her as long as I can.”_

 “Thank you. See you in a little while.”

 _“Okay. Good night, Kara.”_ I pull the communicator out of my ear and set it on the table.

“Why was The Question calling you?” asks Cassie.

“She needs my help. Batwoman’s hurt.”

“What happened?”

“She got bested. That’s all I know.”

“Okay.” I can see the healing process tired her out, which shouldn’t surprise me. It’s another aftereffect of the salve.

“Here,” I put my arms under Cassie and help her stand up, “let’s get you tucked in before I leave.”

Cassie wraps her arms around my shoulders as I walk her to the guest bedroom. “Can I sleep in your room tonight?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“I’ll be fine, Kara. And so will you.” I look for any doubt, any small spark of fear, in Cassie’s eyes. There’s a reason we avoid being alone together as much as possible; there’s still the fear of getting hurt, for her anyway. I’ve always been afraid of causing the fear.

But there’s none in her eyes, only assurance and maybe a hint of stubbornness. “Okay. I’ll get you some PJs.” I set her on the bed and grab a t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts for her. “This should do. You should be able to get dressed on your own.” I leave the room to get the leftover salve, bite stick, and com-link. I also finish off her root beer and put the bottle in the recycling. By the time I’m back in the room, she’s only changed her top.

In order to keep giving her privacy, I put the stuff in my bag and go to the large safe that’s in my walk-in closet; it’s where I keep my uniforms. I listen as she changes so I don’t turn around too soon. When I’m sure she’s ready, I pull out a uniform and get changed at super speed as I step out of the closet. Cassie smiles and hands me her clothes. “I always thought it was cool how you could do that.”

I fold her clothes and set them on top of the chest of drawers. “It’s cool until you start ripping a few shirts because of how fast you’re going.” I pull back the covers and tuck Cassie in. She snuggles into the bed and wraps her arms around the body pillow I handed her. I’ve never seen her tired like this before. The salve wouldn’t have done it to this level. This has to be more than physical exhaustion. I should have a talk with her about it in the morning if at all possible. I kiss her on the forehead and grab the doctor’s bag off the floor.

 

Right now, I have a red-head to go take care of.


	22. Chapter 22

Shortly after I arrived, the Question left. It was a good thing to, because I kept feeling something had taken place between her and Batwoman and it involved me. When I have everything set to help Kate’s injuries, I take my cape off to make it easier to move around and approach her.

“Okay Kate, is it okay if I take your comforter off of you? I need to x-ray you and it would make it simple for me if you weren’t covered.”

“Can’t you see through it?”

“Yes, but afterwards I’ll be applying the medicine and it would be easier if the comforter was already off.”

“Okay.” I slowly pull the comforter down until it’s piled at the foot of her bed. Kate’s only wearing a bra and underwear, so without the warmth of the blanket she shivers from the cold.

“Are you okay, Kate?” She nods. “Good, I’m going to x-ray you now.” Starting from her head, I scan her entire body then work my way back up in case I missed anything. “You have a sprained ankle, five cracked ribs on your right side, and other than a lot of cuts and bruises you’re fine.” I notice how rigid she looks. I may be my own furnace but I know the room can’t be that cold. “Kate, are you okay?”

“W-why do you say that?”

“Because you’re extremely…rigid. You can relax. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Kate seems offended by my comment and gets defensive. “I know that.” She kind of reminds me of Cassie in that way.

“Then relax and take a few breaths. If you’re uncomfortable now, you’re not going to be comfortable in the next few moments.”

“Why?”

“One of the cracks is right under your right breast. I’m going to have to ask you to take your bra off.”

Her heart rate shoots up at that. “I’m not shy.” She is so lying.

“Then tell your red face that.” She turns another shade darker but I pretend I don’t notice. I try to find something to cover Kate’s breasts and find an extra bra in my doctor’s bag. It’s not your typical bra. It was designed to go under my uniform. “Here.” Kate pops out of la-la land and notices the bra in my hand.

“What is this?” she asks as she takes it from me.

“It’s a material I wear under my suit. I can’t wear traditional or exercise bras because they can show through the suit. I used to not wear anything at all but then a friend of mine developed this.” I’d rather not tell her Superman designed it for me. That would be awkward.

“Thank you, Supergirl.”

“Call me Kara, and you’re welcome.” I turn just as she goes to remove her bra. She must be in too much pain because she lets out a hiss followed by a string of expletives.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is that anyway for a lady to talk?”

“It is when she’s got five cracked ribs.”

“I see. Well, try to keep the expletives to yourself.”

“You don’t cuss?” I don’t know why she’s surprised by that. It’s no surprise that I’m called a girl scout, just as much as Superman is called a boy scout.

“What I say off duty can slip through on duty. And when you’re me, you have a lot of children looking up to you.”

“Well, I don’t.”

“You’re right, you don’t.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Okay, apparently my comment hit a chord.

I set my hands on my hips. “How many little girls have you seen around here dressed as you?

“None.” I can see the disappointment in her eyes as well as hear it.

“They probably don’t even know you exist,” I say trying to reassure her. “Which is nice, but not for me.”

“And recognition is?”

“No, hope is. And the best way I can give hope is to be _very_ present.” I pour a special Kryptonian alcohol on a cloth and use it to clean her wounds. She hums as I rub it across her skin. “Feels nice, huh?” She nods and I continue working on her. “It’s sort of a Kryptonian alcohol, or the closest thing to it.” Next, I start to clean the cuts on her arms and neck. When I reach her stomach she flinches. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just a little ticklish there.”

“Ticklish? I’ll have to keep that in mind for later.” Kate raises an eyebrow at my comment and I realize how it sounded.

As I continue cleaning her cuts and scrapes, Kate begins to relax. In fact, when I’m done and back at my bag, her eyes are still closed and she’s humming. I move over to her bed with the bowl and as soon as I’m next to her, she mumbles something about gentle hands.

“Excuse me?” Her eyes pop open and she looks surprised to see me standing over her.

“What?”

“Well, you asked if there was anything else I was gentle at.”

“I did?”

“You did. May I ask what you were originally thinking I was gentle at?”

“Um, I was just thinking that…y-you…” I smile as she continues to babble. Looks like I’ve got her cornered. “I-I was just surprise with how gentle you are with your hands. You can pick up cars, and are bullet-proof, and I even saw a clip of you crushing a piece of coal into a diamond. I’m just surprised.” I take a moment before sitting down next to her. A few strands of hair are matted to her face so I push them back.

“Like you Kate, I have another side to me. A side I use to fit into this world. So I need to know how to be gentle. I need to know how to open a door without pulling it off of its hinges. I need to know how to shake a hand without crushing it. I need to know how to kiss someone without breaking their teeth.” I’m not sure where this mini-confession is coming from but it’s a needed release. Kate gives me a soft smile before reaching up and brushing a few strands of my hair from my face.

“This must be so hard for you. You always have to be in control. It’s like…it’s like you’re living in a world made of cardboard and candy wafers.” I take Kate’s hand off my face and keep hold of it as I bring it to my lap.

“I _always_ have to be careful around humans. They break so easily.” One of these days I’d like to lose control. I’d like to let go and go full force but that will never happen, not on Earth anyway.

I stand up and finish mixing the salve then I take a breath and lean over her. “Now this _will_ sting. If it doesn’t, that’s a good sign I didn’t mix it right. You might also want to take that bra off now and put on the one I gave you.”

“Could you help me with it?”

“Sure.” I help Kate sit up before unclasping her bra for her. Without looking, I take it and bring it over her head and shoulders. When I’m near her ribs, she lets out a hiss. “Sorry, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” When the bra is around her waist and under her arms, I bring the bra back up her body. I try to be careful with her ribs as I fit the bra over her breasts comfortably then help her lie back down. Once I’m sure she’s comfortable, I take the bowl and scoop out a tiny amount of the balm. She flinches while I apply it but her reaction doesn’t go beyond that and her hands squeezing the bed slightly.

“That wasn’t so bad.”

“We’re not done yet.” I walk around to the other side of the bed. “I need to put you on your side.” I can see how much it hurts to move her. I can also see she’s been trying her hardest to not show said pain; something I would expect from her. When she’s completely on her side, I hand her the bite stick. “Here, bite this.”

“I can stand pain. Besides, my ankle didn’t hurt that much.”

“That’s because it was only sprained. You’re ribs are fractured, with two close to being broken. Bite this.” Kate reluctantly takes the bite stick and situates it in her mouth. I give her one final warning before I scoop up more salve. She rolls her eyes and I control the urge to smack her upside the head and tell her she’s being stupid.

Slowly, I spread the salve over her ribs. The pain kicks in immediately and she tightens her jaw. She’s taking the pain better then I expect, until her body begins to shake. This is not good. I stop what I’m doing and reach out to contain her when the bite stick cracks completely and Kate passes out. Okay, that’s _really_ not good.

**X**

_“It’s the only way.”_

_“There has to be another way._

_“There isn’t… Kara, you_ have _to die.”_

“Penny for your thoughts.” I pop out of the memory and look up to see Cassie floating a few feet in front of me.

“What?”

She frowns slightly and lands on Kate’s balcony. I didn’t want to leave her just yet so I hung around her apartment. Some time after midnight, I came out to sit on her balcony and think. “How long have you been out here?”

“Judging from the sun, I have to say seven hours, give or take.”

Cassie sits down on the chair opposite me. “I guess that means you haven’t slept all night, have you?”

“No. I came out here some time ago to think. Didn’t realize I’d been thinking that long.”

“Do I wanna know what about?”

I shrug and prop my feet up on the balcony’s railing. “The future. The past. Everything.”

“No wonder it took you so long.” I roll my head to the left and raise an eyebrow at her. Her smile widens and she crosses her arms. “Couldn’t resist.”

“You never can. How’s your knee by the way?”

“Good,” she says while bending her leg. “Want me to kick you?”

I smile and shake my head. “No. I’ll take your word for it.”

Cassie suddenly hops up and takes a peek inside Kate’s bedroom. “How’s she doing?”

“Her damage was far worse than yours. She’ll be out longer.”

“What happened?”

“Don’t know the specifics, just that some thugs got the best of her.”

“Who brought her here?”

“The Question.”

Cassie shudders and sits back down in her chair. “That woman gives me the creeps. She’s worse than the original Question.”

“True, her methods are more questionable than his, but she gets the job done.”

“Whatever _that_ means.” We sit in silence until the sun rises completely over the building next to us. “Are we ever going to talk about what we never seem to talk about?”

“We can do that right now, if you want.”

“Here? On this balcony in broad daylight?”

I turn my head to look at her. “Why not? Or would you prefer to wait right before midnight when we’re tired and our guard is down?”

“Kind of.” I smile and drop my feet from the railing so I can get a better look at her.

“Cassie. It’s not now or never but I would like to get certain things out of the way. And I know you do as well.”

Cassie breaks eye contact with me and focuses on her hands. She stares at them for a few seconds before taking in a deep breath and letting it out. “What do you remember from that night?”

I lean back in my seat and think for a moment. “Not much. I remember Diana putting me to bed, you touching my shoulder–I think to wake me up–then the next thing I know, I’m scrambling to get off of you. Other than that, not much. Most of what I know, I know from you and my nightmares.”

“So it’s up to me to fill in the big, nasty details.”

“It’s your choice.”

Cassie sighs then leans on the table. “I guess…I guess full disclosure isn’t necessary. I’m not sure if it’s not for me or you but…I do know it’s not.” With every pause Cassie takes, I’m unsure of the direction she’ll go and that makes me uneasy. “What you do need to know is this,” Cassie stands up and moves to kneel in front of me; she even takes my hands in hers, “yes. You did almost rape me but you didn’t. And I know that your abuse of me stemmed from Desaad’s abuse of you-don’t argue.” I close my mouth and let her continue. “What I also know, is a lot of what happened revolved around you exploiting and exposing my insecurities about everything. Things I didn’t even know you knew, and that scared me.”

“It scared me too.”

Cassie gives me a sad smile, which causes the tears brimming on her eyes to fall. “And that’s partially why I didn’t tell Diana about what happened. You weren’t really you-don’t argue.” I close my mouth again. “I’m not excusing your actions. I’m just trying to understand the why… But as I was saying, you were the Kara I knew and loved, and still love.” Cassie stands up and clears her throat. “You know the other reason. I thought Diana would be disappointed in me. She trained me after-all.”

I stand with her and rest my left hand on her right shoulder. “No Amazon is prepared for the tortures Desaad has created, even the diluted methods I used on you. Don’t forget what you were going through at that time. _Any_ Amazon would have reacted like you did.”

“Not Diana.” I slowly turn her towards me and make her look me in the eyes.

“ _Especially_ Diana. If you haven’t noticed already, she’s not altogether all the time.” Cassie doesn’t say anything in return so I slowly pull her into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Cassie. I’m sorry for what I did. I’m sorry I don’t remember fully. And I’m sorry you’ve been carrying this pain around for so long. Please, _please_ forgive me.”

Cassie pulls away from me and wipes the stream of tears running down her face. “I already have.”

She’s pulls me back in her arms and we stay like that until my cellphone rings. I apologize to Cassie and answer it. “Hey Barb, what’s up?”

_“Last night I got a call from The Question. She told me Batwoman got into a fight and lost. She also told me you were at her apartment taking care of her. So, how is she?”_

“She’ll be fine. I put that special salve on her then put her to bed. She’ll probably be up around lunchtime.”

_“Good. I’ll see you soon.”_

“W-H-I’m-I’m sorry, what?”

_“I’m coming over. I’ll be at her place in an hour.”_

“Why?”

_“Because.”_

When Barbara hangs up, I put my phone away and notice Cassie is no longer on the balcony with me. I go inside and find her in the kitchen raiding Kate’s fridge. “Really? You couldn’t wait for me to take you out for breakfast?”

Cassie ignores me and cracks six eggs in a frying pan. “Her fridge is pretty empty so you’re going to have to settle for scrambled eggs instead of an omelet.”

“Fine by me, but you do know you’re gonna have to replace those eggs.”

“You mean _you_ are going to have to do that. _I_ don’t have a job.”

I roll my eyes and sit at the kitchen counter to watch Cassie cook. To my surprise, she moves around the kitchen like she knows what she’s doing. “I never took you for being domestic.”

“Diana says all Amazons should know how to cook. You know,” she turns to me and leans against the stove, “in case we’re ever stranded.”

“Oh, of course. Wait, does that mean Artemis can cook?”

Cassie grabs two bowls and forks, and sets them on the counter. “She’s the best one. One time she even made a dinner for Epione’s birthday. It was _really_ good.”

“I’d say she’d make a good wife if she wasn’t so attached to the Amazon ways.”

“You mean mate then kill?”

I stop smiling whens she says that. “You know?”

“Diana told me. I know the queen doesn’t think she knows but she does. Strife told her.”

“When has Diana _ever_ believed what that woman tells her?”

“Not often, but she’s getting good at telling the difference between the lies and the truth. Besides, Strife isn’t one for lying, not when the truth will cause more conflict.”

“Why hasn’t Diana said anything to Hippolyta?” I ask as Cassie hands me a small stack of napkins she pulled from a drawer.

“She’s waiting for her to make the first move. I’m not sure if that’s an Amazon thing or a mother and daughter thing.”

“I’d go with both. Anyway, what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you set in the Amazon ways? Do you have an interest in marriage?”

Cassie divides the eggs up and sits across from me. “Not sure. I’d like to say I do. I just don’t think that kind of commitment is for me.”

“I guess I feel the same. Maybe I’m not meant for marriage. Not everyone is. Some people are best kept single.”

“Yeah, except for one thing. I know you, and for as long as I can remember you’ve always looked for forever. It’s inside of you.”

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. We’ll see.” Cassie laughs and we dig into our eggs. “You know, to be honest I _am_ looking for a commitment, but I think I already found it. I’m the kind of woman who’s committed to her work, and that’s okay. I like romance and I like relationships, but I’d rather focus on the latter. For example,” I take Cassie’s hand in mine and smile her, “my friendship with you.”

Cassie tilts her head slightly and raises an eyebrow at me. “Kara…” she says my name so softly that it’s a little weird. “Is this your way of saying you’re attracted to me?”

I pull my hand from hers and smack her in the arm. “You had to ruin it, didn’t you? You just _had_ to ruin the moment.” Cassie laughs while I shake my head and get up to pour us drinks.

“Kara, do you remember when those Inquirer articles about the women of the League came out?”

“How could I not?” I set our drinks down and sit back in my seat. “First, they made Wonder Woman come out like a player who dated everyone. She was _not_ happy about that by the way. And second, they kept pairing me with women who looked like me. First it was Canary, then it was Stargirl, and _then_ it was Power Girl. Okay, she’s like my twin. That’s just gross.

“How come they never paired us up?”

“Oh but they did. About two months after you joined the Titans, some hack reporter sent the Inquirer that picture of us fighting Giganta.”

“I remember now. Poor J’onzz. After a huge public reaction, he had to make a statement about how none of it was true.”

“J’onzz wasn’t the only one who had to clean up that mess. Diana, Canary, me, and others had to sort through the letters we got asking us to speak at rallies and meetings.”

“Doesn’t the League have a strict policy on public events?”

I clear my voice and quote the policy. “The Justice League of America cannot be seen supporting any group, political protest, or public function that does not directly involve the JLA as a whole. This includes specific political party rallies, religious functions, privately owned companies and their affiliates, foreign groups, etc., etc.”

“Why do you have that memorized?”

“You have no idea how many times I’ve had to relay that policy to people. So, what do want to do today?”

“You mean other than babysit your friend? Hmm…how about nothing? I think today is a good day to just be. If that’s okay with you?”

“That sounds perfect.”

Cassie and I finish our breakfast and settle in on Kate’s couch to watch television until Barbara shows up. But not before Cassie tells me she brought a duffle bag with clothes for me and her to change into. When Barbara gets here, she’s surprised to see Cassie lounging on the couch.

“I didn’t know you had company.”

“She’s staying with me for a while. It was a last minute decision. Kate’s in her bed.”

As the two of us go to Kate’s bedroom, I explain to her what happened last night; this doesn’t include anything with Cassie. When we enter, Barbara wheels straight to Kate. “How’s she feeling?”

“Fine now. She passed out while I applied it to her ribs but that’s understandable. I’m surprised she lasted as long as she did in the first place.”

“That’s Kate for you.”

“I’m beginning to realize that.”

Barbara and I watch for a moment longer before she’s ready to leave. I follow her out of the bedroom and to the front door. “Dinah called. She’s wants to meet with you.”

“When and where?”

“You’ll get the when soon. The where, is the usual place.”

“We need to stop meeting there. It _will_ be compromised eventually.”

“I’m aware of that, Linda. But certain plans have been set into motion. They can’t change yet.”

I cross my arms. “Why do I not like the sound of that?”

Barbara smirks then opens the door. “Relax, all is planned out.” As she heads down the hallway I call out to her.

“Even you know the best laid plans never go as planned.”

“True,” she says with her back to me as she presses the button for the elevator, “but this time I’m right.” I stay in the hallway until the elevator closes.

“I take it from that conversation we’re _not_ spending all day together?” says Cassie once I close the front door.

“I’m sorry, Cass. When duty calls, I have to answer.” I plop down on the couch next to her and suddenly yawn. “Whoa, where did that come from?”

“When’s the last time you slept?”

“Not since Themyscira.”

Cassie flinches in surprise. “Kara, you’ve been up too long. Even Kryptonian’s need their sleep.”

“I’m-” I yawn again and roll my eyes because of it. “This is ridiculous.”

“Here,” Cassie scoots to the end of the couch and lets me rest my head on her lap. I’m reminded of how short Kate’s couch is when my feet stick out over the arm of the chair. Cassie notices and giggles.

“Hey, you’re almost the same height as me.”

“Shh, gets some sleep Kara.”

I close my eyes and nod. “Mkay.” When I feel the pull of sleep, I say something to Cassie. “Hey Cass…”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t cry at my funeral, okay?”

“What?” Fear laces her voice. I try to reassure her by patting the hand that’s resting on my stomach.

“It’s okay. It’s all planned out. I promise.” That’s the last thing I remember before sleep finally takes me.

**X**

When I wake-up, I realize Cassie is gone. There’s a note on Kate’s coffee table that says she went to run some errands and would meet me for dinner at 5:00. Not wanting to stay on the couch any longer, I grab the throw blanket that’s on the back of it and drag myself to Kate’s bedroom. Thankfully, she’s still out cold. I grab the furnished chair that’s sitting in the corner of her room and wheel it next to her bed. I write a quick note for Kate as Kara then I wrap the blanket around me and curl up in the chair. It’s definitely not as comfortable as the couch but at least I’ll be right here when Kate wakes-up.


	23. Chapter 23

My father rushes me through the long corridors of our home. Every time I think I know what direction he’s going in he takes a turn I don’t expect. This goes on for a short time until we’re in a lab I don’t recognize. He waves his hand in front of a Ci-Ran station, his personal AI.

 _“Password please,”_ it buzzes out in Kryptonian.

“Little Flower.” That was the nickname he gave me when I was five.

_“Password accepted.”_

“Excellent. Ci-Ran, start protocol Alpha Niner.”

_“Yes, Zor-El.”_

Out of the wall comes a black sphere the size of a Volkswagen Beatle. It hovers in front of us. Once it lands, a circular door opens. My father works on his computer; images of a world that is vaguely familiar to me flashes across the screen at a high speed. Suddenly, the images stop, then a thin white crystal is pushed out of the systems slowly like a CD from a CD player. My father gently takes it and pushes it partially into a small hole at the base of the circular opening.

“Father, what is happening?” The lab shakes as another terra tremor ravages our planet.

“I am sending you away, Kara. Far away. From this planet, this war, and from me.” He whispers the last part out but that doesn’t mean I don’t hear it.

“What are you talking about?”

Before my father can answer, my mother rushes into the room. “Zor-El, the soldiers are here.”

A genuine smile graces my father’s lips, the first one I’ve seen in days. “That means Jor-El succeeded. Kal-El has left our planet and is on his way to safety.” I wonder what my father means by that, but I don’t get to ask him because the sound of an explosion echoes down the hallway to us. “Quickly! There is no time!”

He begins to push me towards the ship but I stop him. “Wait! What is going on?” Normally, my father would be frustrated with my inability to take in the situation around me. I know something is wrong when he remains patient with me.

“Kara,” he says while resting his hands on my shoulders. “Your uncle Jor-El built a single-passenger rocket that could leave our atmosphere. He built it for your baby cousin Kal.”

“But why?”

“To protect him,” says my mother while resting her hand on my left cheek. “Now it is _our_ turn to protect _you_.”

“From what?”

“From-” another explosion echoes down the hallway and interrupts my father. This one is loud and clearer than the last. “They are inside now. Quickly Kara! Into the ship!”

I step inside. Once I’m situated, I turn and reach a hand out to him. He doesn’t take it. “What are you waiting for?” He steps back from me and stands next to my mother.

He takes her hand in his before speaking. Just as he opens his mouth, I know what he is going to say before he even says it. “We are not coming with you, Kara. This trip you must take alone.”

“W-Why?” I sob out.

My parents step forward and rest their hands on my shoulders simultaneously. “Our time is done Kara. We have lived our lives. Now it is time for you to live yours.” I feel the tears stream down my eyes. My mother gives me a sad smile as she wipes them away.

“Do not cry, Little Flower,” says my father as he brushes a strand of my short blonde hair out of my face. “Where you are going, Kal will be also. You will not be alone.”

Just as my father reaches to push the crystal in all the way, I lean over the bottom of the opening and give my parents the last hug I will ever give them. Before letting go, my father kisses me on the head, and my mother on my shoulder. I let go of them when I hear shouting coming from outside the laboratory’s doors.

“Remember Kara, we will always love.”

“Always.”

These are the last words my mother and father say to me respectively as he pushes the crystal in and the doors close in front of me. As the ship takes off, I close my eyes to stop the tears from falling. I go to wipe them away but another hand does it for me. I open my eyes to see Kate leaning away from me. I blink a few times and sit up in the chair I fell asleep in earlier. The memory I experienced was a dream. Of course.

Kate sits down on her bed as I adjust myself. This includes fixing my clothes and wiping the sleep from my eyes. I also pick up the blanket I was using earlier and roll it up. It’s not until I slip my glasses back on, when I feel wet streaks on my left cheek.

“I was crying in my sleep, wasn’t I?” Kate nods. I chuckle to myself. Leave it to me to cry in front of Kate, and because of a dream too.

“Linda, are you okay?” she asks.

I cross my legs and smile at her. “Yeah, I’m fine. That’s not the first time that’s happened.”

“This happens a lot?’

I stretch my arms over my head. “Yep,” I say while yawning.

“Why?”

“Because the dreams I have are sad.”

“What are they about?” I place the rolled up blanket on the floor next to the chair and sit next to Kate on her bed.

“My parents.”

“Is it because you miss them?"

“No not my adoptive parents, my _biological_ parents.”

“I didn’t know you were adopted.”

“So is Clark, my cousin. That’s how we’re related, through our biological fathers.” Kate scoots closer to me to where our thighs are almost touching. I don’t bother to scoot away.

“Tell me about them.” I sigh then lie down on her bed with my feet still touching the floor. Kate does the same.

“Clark and my parents were scientists,” I say to start off my story. “My father was a _fantastic_ scientist, second only to his brother, Clark’s father. Anyway, there was suspicion that where they worked was being sabotaged. Clark’s father tried to prove it but the heads of the facility were too stubborn and prideful of their own work to believe such a thing could happen. Now, my father did believe his brother, he just didn’t tell him. Both of them tried to find out what was going to happen separately, but by the time they did it was too late for them to stop it. Clark’s dad tried to warn everyone but no one listened. During that time, my parents were able to leave the area but Clark’s father was apprehended and accused of sabotage. In a matter of no time the entire area exploded and everyone there was killed.”

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t cause it. Anyway, after I was born my parents moved to the United States. When I was a teenager, we moved to Kansas because we had heard rumors my cousin had not been killed in the explosion. While there, my parents got into an accident. They died instantly.”

Though I changed the details of their death for Kate’s benefit, the real reason behind their death is still fresh to me. I start to cry again and Kate shifts onto her right side to wipe away the tears. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” I say while swatting her hand away and wiping the tears myself. “Look, the story has a happy ending. While I was at the orphanage I did some digging into adoptions around the time when Clark was a baby. The one that stuck out perfectly was an adoption made by a Mister Jonathan and Missus Martha Kent. When I was old enough, I went to Smallville and met up with Clark after contacting him. We did a DNA test and found out we were related.”

“I’m glad,” she says while playing with a strand of my long brown hair. I look over at her and smile. Oddly enough, even though Kate sounds happy, her face doesn’t reflect that. She had that same look right before asking me for my phone number a while back.

“I’m glad you’re glad, but you might want to tell your face that.”

“What?” She stops looping the strands through her fingers and looks me in the eyes.

“Well, from your face it looks like you want to ask me a question.”

“Okay...” Kate bites her lip before asking her question. It’s kind of cute. “First, where did this happen? You said after you were born your parents moved here to the US. Are you European?”

“Something like that.”

“What were your parents’ names?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“Then how can I look up what happened?” I lean over onto my left side and face Kate directly. Our faces are only six inches apart, more or less.

“You can’t.” I have to shift briefly because for some reason, a few strands of hair are caught under my shoulder and are keeping me from sitting up correctly. “Look, I know you’re interested in knowing more about me, but that’s not the way to go.” I finally pull them out but the force messes up my hair. “It’s not my _past_ that defines me it’s who I am now.” I reach back and pull the tie out of my hair so I can fix it. Just before I sit up to put my hair in a new ponytail, Kate reaches up and ruffles it. “Hey! Don't mess with my hair.”

Kate sits up and uses both of her hands to continue messing up my hair. She’s sitting over me as she does this. I shift my left leg and use her position to flip her onto her back. A move Dick taught me when I first started out as Supergirl. I straddle her and pin her hands above her head.

“Not bad for a farm girl slash reporter huh?” As I look down at her, I notice the expression on her face is close to panic. She’s probably not used to getting bested and doesn’t know what to do with it…I think. I lean forward slightly so I can shift my weight and get off of her when my cellphone goes off. Kate curses under her breath as I lean back to grab my cellphone from my back pocket. I point a finger at her and silently chide her as I answer the phone. “Danvers here.”

 _“Listen, Danvers. This is Bullock. Now before you say another word I want you to listen and listen good. As much as I don’t wanna say this, I need help on this Intergang case. It’s got me and Sawyer trapped in a corner. I figured since you’re already involved ya might as well work with us. Got it?”_ The question at the end comes out muffled, probably from him shoving some pastry in his mouth.

“I understand.”

_“Meet me at the back of the station in an hour.”_

“I’ll be there soon.”

 _“Good. Don’t expect Sawyer though. She still doesn’t like this idea of workin’ with the media. Oh, and thanks for…well…thanks.”_ Bullock’s politeness is unexpected but appreciated.

“No _thank you_. Good-bye.” I hang up and look at Kate, who has her arms crossed and has been watching me the whole time. “You have no idea who just called me.”

“Who?”

“Detective Bullock. He wants to talk to me about the Intergang case.”

“That’s great.”

“Yeah, except Maggie isn’t on board with it.”

“So?”

“'So?” I say with a smile. “So if she isn’t on board and Bullock wants to talk to me about it that means only one thing. Commissioner Gordon went straight to Bullock himself.”

“Why would he do that?”

I tap my cellphone against my lips a few times then stop and smile as I realize the answer. “Barbara.”

Kate smiles at me then a look flashes across her face like she just had an epiphany. “Hey Linda, two things. First, why did you have that Reddner watch?”

I figured she still be on about that and smile as I shift to put my phone back in my pocket. “You’re going to have to ask Supergirl that, if you meet her.”

“Okay, and two, could you get off of me please? You’ve been straddling me for a while and your wiggling isn’t exactly helping me.” I can feel my eyes get really wide as I look down and realize how inappropriate our positions are right now.

“Sorry,” I say really quietly as I get off of her. I can feel my face go red and I know Kate is about to make fun of me for it when her cellphone goes off. She goes over to the dresser and reads her text message. Her brow scrunches slightly as she reads it.

“Is everything okay, Katherine?” I’m still feeling highly embarrassed and I’m hoping to use the text message to change the subject and get us focused on something else.

“Everything is fine. It’s just Maggie. She probably wants to vent about you working on the Intergang case, um Linda? Why do call me by my full name?”

I think about it for a moment then shrug my shoulders as I walk away from my spot near the bed. “I don’t really know. I guess because it’s one of my favorite female names and I like saying it…Katherine.”

Kate smiles. “Okay, I was just asking because everyone calls me Kate. Even my father calls me Kate.”

“Do you want me to call you Kate?”

“No! I mean yes, I mean no.” Kate takes a breath before continuing. “It’s okay to call me by either. I just especially like it when _you_ say my full name. It sounds nice.” I smile and lean against the closed doors of her balcony.

“Okay…Katherine.” Kate smiles again. We stand there in a comfortable silence until my beeper goes off. It’s Drake. “It’s the office. I’ve got to go.”

“But it’s Sunday.”

“I know, but the news never rests.” I kiss the top of Kate’s head, “see ya around…Katherine,” then wink at her before leaving the room.

**X**

The meeting with Drake turned out to be his way of getting me a face-to-face talk with Det. Sawyer. When I arrived at Madame Woo’s Authentic Chinese Restaurant, I was a little confused as to why Drake would be willing to meet in such a public place, until I saw the back of Maggie’s boy-cut blonde hair. “Sneaky man. Sneaky, sneaky man,” I say while entering the restaurant. Other than Maggie, there are only a few patrons eating. By now, most people would be back at work from their lunch break.

Maggie’s looking over a document on her iPad when I slide into the seat across from her. She jumps and reaches for her gun but stops once she realizes who just invaded her space.

“Long time no see.” She frowns and puts her iPad in sleep mode.

“What do you want?”

“Can’t I just say hi?” I look up as a waitress places a plate of pot stickers on our table.

“Madame Woo says it’s on the house.”

I look back at the entrance to the kitchen to see the owner herself watching us through the open door. She gives me a smile and waves at me. I wave back. Maggie does too. When the waitress walks away, I put my attention on Maggie.

“She’s aged a bit. Her hair is starting to grey.”

“How would you know that?”

I can’t exactly tell her I picked up on it with my super vision. “I can tell,” I say as I shove a pot sticker in my mouth. Maggie scrunches her face in disgust at my lack of manners and goes to grab one too. I smile as she lets out a girlish shriek because of how hot they are.

“I can never understand how you’re just able to pick these up like they’re nothing,” she says while sucking on her burnt fingers.

“It’s a gift, so what ya readin’?”

Maggie narrows her eyes at me. “What makes you think I’m going to tell you?”

Instead of directly answering her, I choose another method. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. If it has anything to do with Intergang I’ll find out eventually.”

At first, Maggie was confused as to why I wouldn’t push but quickly caught on. “I still don’t understand what possessed Bullock to do this.”

“You and me both. Do you know he even thanked me? And I haven’t even done anything yet.”

“He has been nice lately. It’s a little weird.”

“You don’t think he’s dying, do you?” Maggie seems to seriously contemplate that possibility.

“Nah, but whatever it is, it’s made him a lot more tolerable to be around.”

I watch as Maggie attempts to pick up a pot sticker again. This time she licks her fingers before doing so. It must work because she is able to pick it up without too much of an issue.

“So what _are_ you reading?”

Maggie swallows and turns her iPad back on. She types in her password and slides it over to me. It’s an article.

“How long has it been again? Three years?” she asks.

“Give or take.”

Maggie was reading an article related to the child that was killed during her fist kidnapping case in Gotham. The article gives a summary of the crime and focuses on certain details about the kidnapper. Its basic purpose is to remind people of how nasty Gotham City is compared to most cities, and to remind people the first wave of city budgets cuts should not be law enforcement. The latter point is supported by how the police were not able to save the child in time due to lack of support.

“They’re wrong you know,” says Maggie as I read the paragraph that says this. “We failed because we weren’t fast enough, not because we didn’t have enough uniforms.”

“It wasn’t your fault Maggie. There was no indication the guy would kill the child before the drop-off.”

“It doesn’t matter. I failed that night. No point in arguing it.”

I tentatively reach across the table and take Maggie’s right hand in my left. “Listen Sawyer, I’ve told you time and time again that sometimes the bad guys win. No one likes it but it happens. The only thing we can do now is move forward and be ready for the next sicko to come our way.” I let go of Maggie and pop another post sticker in my mouth. “Now, you gonna work with me on this Intergang case or what?”

Maggie rolls her eyes. “I guess.” She doesn’t completely show it, but I know she’s just as excited to work with me as I am to work with her.

I’m about to suggest we order food when I see a taxi pull up. I don’t need my x-ray vision to know who’s in it before they get out. “Looks like it’s time for me to go.”

Maggie turns around and sees the redhead get out of the vehicle. “You won’t stay for lunch?”

“I think it’s best if Kate doesn’t know you and I are working together.”

“Why?”

“Trust me on this. Okay?”

I know Maggie wants to know my reasoning. Thankfully, she doesn’t push due to time constraint. “Fine, but you are telling me later.”

“I’m okay with that.”

In a split decision, I grab the plate of pot stickers and walk off with them. “Hey!” I smile back at Maggie, just in time to see Kate come through the front door. Before the redhead has time to see me, I disappear into the kitchen and exchange my plate for a carton, courtesy of the great Madame Woo.


	24. Chapter 24

Maggie frowns at me as I lean back in her chair and finish eating my bear claw. “Something on your mind detective?”

“Yes.”

I reach for a napkin but it’s too far. She grabs one for me and hands it to me. “Thanks. Would you like to share what it is?”

“I don’t think you’d like it.”

Even though the precinct is filled with the usual noise of busy cops, the lack of words between Maggie and me make our situation awkward. I know she doesn’t like I’m involved with this investigation but I figured our little conversation at Madame Woo would change her. We don’t have to stay in silence for long. A detective named McClenaghan said Gordon is ready to see us.

The conference room we enter is filled with five detectives, four uniforms, and the Chief of Police. This does not include Commissioner Gordon and Detective Bullock; the latter standing at the front of the room with a projector remote in his hand. Maggie sits in the only other empty seat at the front of the room. I sit on the edge of a table where two of the detectives are standing.

“Before we begin,” states Bullock. “I’d like to point out our guest.” He points to me. I didn’t mind the cops staring at me when I entered. I do now that Bullock is trying to draw attention to me. “I know we never brought in no reporter before but I got it on good authority she’s a great investigator. And just like Sawyer, she’s tangled with Intergang before.

“She’s also brought us enough info to make a few busts,” he continues. “So treat her like you would treat any other cop. Got it?” The looks I get from the cops are mixed, ranging from optimistic to clearly ticked-off about my presence. Maggie is one of the few who doesn’t bother to look at me. Gordon notices the mixed looks and gives me a reassuring smile before Bullock continues with his briefing.

“Now let’s get down tah business. Almost three years ago Intergang stuck its big foot in Gotham’s door. It’s bad enough we got crazies runnin’ ‘round here, we don’t need no organized crime bosses like Intergang.”

Intergang is more than a name for a mob boss’s empire, it’s a global corporation. You name a country and most likely Intergang’s got a stake in it somehow. Whether it’s dirty cops or sex trafficking, you’ll find them there. I once worked with International Justice Mission, a faith-based organization determined to rescue modern slaves. I was doing a piece on their social workers during a trip to Cambodia. While there, we rescued fifteen girls who were sex slaves. Their ages ranged from 10 to 15. I got to speak with a girl named Kari who was originally from Germany. Apparently blondes are a big thing. She was fourteen years old and lost her virginity at 9. If that wasn’t hard to hear, she eventually told me about all the abortions she had; she lost track after number 15.

Not long after speaking with her, I learned the girls belonged to a subsidiary of Intergang. That was when I got very serious in taking them down. That was six years ago. Since then, I’ve accumulated enough evidence to blow a huge whole in their organization. Between my info, Bullock’s and Maggie’s investigation, and the witness in protective custody, there’s a good chance justice could win out.

We can only pray it does.

**X**

After the mentally tiring afternoon with Detectives Bullock’s and Sawyer’s task force, I’m slightly drained. I get weaker and weaker with each passing month. At least the nanites’ jobs will be done soon. If I can make it to the end, I’ll be good.

When the elevator opens on my floor, I step into a flooded hallway. “What the…?” I scan down it and see the only apartment door open is mine. I sigh and close my eyes in slight frustration. “Of course.”

I take a few steps when I hear a crash and arguing coming from inside the apartment. I run the rest of the way and walk in to see water flowing from the bathroom. The arguing seems to be coming from there. The sight I’m greeted with has me equally confused and amused. Standing in the middle of my bathroom arguing is Jason Todd and Cassie. Both are soaked with water and yelling at each other about whose fault it is.

“You’re the one who broke the faucet!” yells Jason.

“You’re the one who said he could fix it!” Cassie yells back.

Since they’re standing within arm’s length of each other, there is the risk one will snap and hit the other. However, I think deep down even they see the ridiculousness of their situation. I clear my throat to get their attention but between the running water and their yelling, they don’t hear me let alone register another person is nearby. I clear my throat again, loud enough where it sounds like a hacking smoker.

When that doesn’t work, I yell at them. “Hey!” Their arguing stops abruptly and they simultaneously turn their heads towards me. “I get why she’s here,” I say pointing to Cassie, “what I’m concerned with, slightly less than the flooded apartment, is why _you’re_ here?” I say pointing to Jason.

The two stare at me with blank faces until they finally register who is speaking to them. “Hey Linda, how’s it hanging?” asks Cassie. I shake my head and step into the bathroom. It doesn’t take long for me to find where the water is running from. I use my heat vision to close the hole in the pipe.

“Now,” I put my hands on my waist, “who wants to start?” Jason and Cassie look at each other again before talking at me at the same time. “Stop!” I say while putting my hands up. I turn and trudge through the water to the kitchen. Jason and Cass follow me without saying a word. I grab a root beer out of the fridge before motioning to Cass to tell me what happened.

“I got here an hour ago. I wanted to talk with you about…” Cassie gives Jason a sideways glance before continuing, “What you said yesterday. Fifteen minutes before you showed, Jason knocked on the door. We got into an argument about why the other was here then I retreated to the bathroom. Unfortunately, I was so angry I ripped the handle off the faucet. Water was spraying everywhere. Jason came in to help but he ended up making matters worse by busting the pipe.”

I look at Jason and ask, “Do you have anything to add to that?”

He shrugs then runs a hand through his hair. “I didn’t ‘bust’ it. The pipes just aren’t in the best shape.”

“Right, because Wayne Towers is known for bad pipes.” Jason can try to argue with that but it would be fruitless. “Look, I…” I stop and look at the sight of them. The fact they destroyed my apartment should make me mad. In fact, I should be furious with them but I’m not.

When I smile, they become confused and a little scared. I put my root beer down and hug them. After a moment of shock, they relax and put their arms around me. “Thank you,” I finally say.

Jason is the first to pull back. “We destroyed your apartment, what’s there to thank?”

I pull away from Cassie. “You’ll see.” She and Jason are confused. Before I can clarify what I mean, the building supervisor runs in with two other men.

“Miss Danvers! What happened?” I look at my two guests then back to the supervisor.

“Bad pipes?”

**X**

I talk with the building supervisor and let my brain work at high-speed in order to come up with a story to explain how someone ripped my faucet out of the sink. This had to be done after I sent Jason and Cass to get dinner. The supervisor informs me Bruce will pay for the damages and my stuff is to be moved to a new location before the end of the night. Once the supervisor leaves, I call Bruce but it goes straight to voicemail. I don’t bother leaving a message and hang-up. He’ll call me back.

As I use my heat vision to dry my books, my cellphone goes off. It’s Diana. “Hey Di, what’s up?”

 _“Just checking in to see how Cassandra is doing. I saw the news report.”_ If Diana knows about the monster then she must be back in the States.

“You saw that, huh?”

_“Hard to miss.”_

“Well, she’s fine. I used my healing salve on her.”

 _“Good to know.”_ The line goes briefly silent, meaning Diana has something pressing on her mind.

“What’s on your mind, princess?”

Diana laughs. _“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that line.”_

“Never really needed to use it. So what is one your mind?”

Diana sighs. _“You have four weeks.”_ I don’t need her to clarify on what she means by that.

“Where are we going this time?”

_“London.”_

“Okay.” I sit on my couch and realize Jason or Cass must have sat on it because it’s wet. I stand up and see my butt is wet too. Great. “Fine. I’ll see you then.”

_“I’m sorry Linda. I wish I could give you more time but diplomacy should never be postponed. Tell Cassandra I expect her in DC within the next three days. The Titans are preparing to leave for their mission.”_

“Will do. See you in four weeks.”

_“See you then._

I sigh and go into the kitchen to see if there’s a container of ice cream I can dig into. I find a rather old ice cream sandwich and debate on whether or not to eat it when my cell alarm goes off. It’s a reminder for my meeting with Black Canary.

I chuck the sandwich in the freezer and see if I can find a dry pair of jeans to wear before leaving. There’s no need for me to bring anything more than my keys, wallet, digital recorder, and jacket. I write a note for Cassie, Jason, and the supervisor then leave the apartment and go downstairs to call a taxi since Cassie has my motorcycle.

On the way to the docks, I notice motorcycle headlights following the cab. It follows me to the docks. When I get out of the cab to pay the driver, I use my x-ray vision to see the rider’s face.

It’s Kate.

I relax and decide to let her get an insight into what I do as a reporter. Besides, it’s not likely anything outside of Intergang will be mentioned. I go inside the Wayne Industries warehouse and walk through the maze of crates until I’m in the clearing. Not long after I relax against a stack, I pick up on Kate entering the building through a window that leads to the balcony. I don’t need her to suspect I know someone is watching so I use my super hearing to track her.

Five, maybe ten minutes go by and I’ve settled into listening to the rhythm of Kate’s heart. It’s the clear and strong heartbeat of a calm woman. This is unfortunate for me because Dinah gives me one of her patented “Canary whistles” and nearly deafens me temporarily.

“Geez! Really? Seriously?” I say while checking my ears. Canary’s warm laughter comes from the other side of the crates before she emerges.

“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” I silently forgive her at the sight of her smile and give her a hug.

“How are you Linda?” she asks after we end our hug. “I haven’t seen you since last Christmas.”

The only reason Canary would use holidays in her speech is to let the other person know something. Thanksgiving means a trap, Valentine’s means there is a traitor amongst us, New Year’s means we have a guy on the inside, and Christmas means someone is watching us.

“What can I say? I’m a busy girl.” I wink at Canary. This is my way of telling her I know and it is okay. “So, what do you have for me?” She pulls out a small, stuffed envelope from inside her jacket and hands it to me.

“That’s all of it so far. It should be enough for you to write your first story.” I don’t bother looking at the information in the warehouse. There will be time for that later once I’m in my new apartment.

“I can’t yet, not until I’m sure the cops and I have everything.” Canary sits down on a round piece of machinery and pulls out a dagger to play with.

“I heard about that. Congratulations on getting the cops to work with you.”

“To be honest, I had nothing to do with it. It was Commissioner Gordon-with Barbara’s help of course-who recommended me. On top of it, Bullock was the one who wanted a reporter getting involved in the first place.”

“Do you know why?”

“Not a clue, but I will find out. There was something off about Detective Bullock when I spoke to him today. He was too…nice.”

Canary laughs. “Nice? I’ve heard the horror stories from Oracle. Bullock doesn’t do nice, not unless he’s in trouble.”

I smile as I slip the envelope in a pocket on the inside of my jacket. “Other than the envelope, do you have anything else for me?”

“Yeah, some advice. I think it’s time you drop Batwoman.” I nearly drop the packet and look up at Canary. I want to protest her comment, but I can’t. She’s right.

“I know what you mean. I haven’t been in contact with her since I caught her spying on me, and at the same time she has no information about this Intergang situation.”

“I talked to Oracle about that. She said Batwoman isn’t even involved with this. That’s why we both want you to drop her.”

“Both of you want me to drop her?” It doesn’t surprise me that Barbara wants me to let go of Batwoman. I just want to know what Dinah gets out of this.

“Not only that, but I had a talk with The Question last night. She agrees with me.”

Wow. I didn’t see that coming. Even Kate’s ex wants me to drop her. The question though, is do they simply want me to drop Batwoman or Kate too?

I sit next to Canary and sigh. “I understand. I’ll see what I can do.” She puts her dagger away and pats me on the shoulder.

“Good girl.”

I roll my eyes and stand up. “Seeing as you have nothing more to give me, I'll be leaving now. See you around Canary, say hello to Green Arrow for me.” I go to walk away but stop when Canary calls out to me.

“Will do. Oh, and one more thing. Diana called, she-”

“I know. I talked with her before coming here. She says I have four weeks to crack this until I have to meet her in London.”

“That’s not a lot of time.”

I shrug and push my glasses up my nose. “Then I better work fast.” With that said, I leave Canary and the warehouse. When I’m outside, I call a taxi to pick me up. While I wait, I hear the roar of Canary’s motorcycle. A few minutes later, Kate’s motorcycle does the same.

Poor Kate, I never wanted her to know about me leaving with Diana. I was hoping to slip away without dealing with the emotional repercussions of telling Kate I’m leaving soon. Now that she knows, I have no choice but to tell her. It wouldn’t be fair to her if I left without saying goodbye.

I can see the taxi coming towards me when my cellphone goes off. “What do you want Jason?”

_“Linda, you need to get to your apartment.”_

“Now what did you break?”

_“We didn’t break anything Linda.”_

“We?”

_“Cass and I, we’ve come to an agreement and need you here to discuss the final pieces.”_

“Um, yeah. I’m about to get into a taxi. I’ll see you soon.”

_“Good. See you then.”_

I’m not quite sure how to take my conversation with Jason. Either I need to be worried or relieved that he and Cassie are speaking. I flip-flop between the two emotions until I reach my new apartment. It’s on the 12th floor, so two floors higher than where my previous apartment was.

When I approach the door, I hear three voices inside my apartment instead of the expected two. I open the door and not only see Jason and Cassie, but Dr. McCoy as well.

“Hello, Linda. Jason called me. I hope you don’t mind.”

I shake my head in response to the doctor and close the door behind me. Standing in my apartment is one of my exes, one of my closest friends, and my therapist. Either this is the start of a bad joke or an intervention.


	25. Chapter 25

I watch Dr. McCoy play Doodle Jump on her Kindle for a few moments before clearing my throat. She swivels her chair around to face me. “Kara, what are you doing here?” I close her office door behind me and stand awkwardly in the middle of the room.

“I figured you be here. We need to talk.”

She raises an eyebrow and puts her Kindle to sleep. “Does this have anything to do with last week?” I nod and sit down on the arm of an armchair. “Hm… Well, in that case,” she pulls her notebook out and slips on her glasses, “tell me what’s on your mind.”

“A lot.”

She smiles. “How about you start with how your week has been.”

 

**A week ago…**

I stare blankly at my three guests. Jason is in the corner of my new apartment with his arms crossed, Cassie is standing in front of the balcony with her hands in her pockets, and Ailish McCoy is sitting comfortably on my couch with a smile. “Why do I feel like I stepped into an intervention?”

Ailish’s smile wavers. She stands up and approaches me. “I know we’ve never spoken outside of you being Kara, but Cassandra found my number and called me.”

“How did you get from Delaware to here in a couple hours?”

“She called me yesterday.”

I look at Cassie who avoids me by staring at her shoes. “Oh.” Ailish touches my right elbow and gently guides me to the couch she was sitting on.

As soon as I sit, she sits on my coffee table across from me. “We need to talk.”

I stand up abruptly and nearly cause Ailish to fall backwards off the table. “Okay, what’s going on here?”

“Who’s Kara In-Ze?”

I look at Jason. “How do you know about Kara?”

He pushes off the wall with his shoulder. “After the park, I started digging into your activities. After a little B-n-E and some computer savvy I found out about her. She’s your cousin?”

I nod. “On my mother’s side. But what does she have to do with anything?”

“She’s your replacement, isn’t she?” This question comes from Cassie.

“Why would she be my replacement?”

Cassie gives me a pained look. “Do you really need to ask that?”

I look down at Ailish who is still looking at me from the coffee table. “You told them?”

“I didn’t have to,” she replies as she adjusts her glasses. “Your friends are quite bright. You’re blessed to have them.”

I scowl at Cassie and Jason. “That’s debatable.”

“Kara,” chided Ailish. “These two care about you. They just want to know what’s going on. I haven’t told them anything beyond what they already know.”

I step away from them and start pacing in the middle of the room. “Okay…okay.” I stop and focus on Cassie and Jason. “How much do you two know?”

“Not enough,” answers Jason.

I catch Ailish’s eye and silently ask her if this is the time to tell them. The small smile and slight nod gives me all the answer I need. “Okay. Where do you want to start?”

 

**Now…**

When I finish going over what happened that night she asks me how the rest of my week went. “Surprisingly calm. After Jason left for Bludhaven to work with Doctor Havens and Cassie left for Washington the following day, I called Lucy. She showed up the next day and we’ve been spending all week together,” I say with a smile. “It’s been nice.”

“I saw on the news Supergirl stopped an armed robbery in Metropolis.”

“Yeah, Lois wanted to do some dress shopping for the wedding. Could only spare a few hours though.” Now that Ailish knows who I am outside of Supergirl, it’s easier to speak with her about my life without being vague. “I’ve mostly been busy with Intergang. We got a lot of traction. We’re planning a raid soon, I think.”

“So you’ve been busy.”

“Yeah, but a good busy.”

Ailish smiles. “Good. Good. What else is going on?”

“Colonel Kane is hosting a gala tonight. Jimmy flew in from Metropolis yesterday. The three of us hung out all day yesterday.”

“Sounds fun. What about after the gala?”

“More Intergang work I guess. I only have three weeks left in Gotham.”

“What about Kate?” Her question catches me off-guard.

“What about her?” Ailish gives me an incredulous look before repeating her question. “I haven’t spoken with her all week.”

“Why not?”

I shrug. “Been busy I guess.”

“Is that really it?”

“No.” I sigh and run my hand through my hair. “Kate has a crush on me.”

“I know.”

“And I’m leaving soon.”

“I know.” Ailish adjusts her glasses. “We’ve discussed this over email not long ago. But let me ask you this, why have you put off speaking with Kate? With Veronica you were pretty upfront.”

“That was different. Veronica was upfront about her feelings. Kate hasn’t been. I guess like I’ve been putting off telling her I’m leaving, I’ve been putting off speaking with her about this. Maybe it’s time that stops. It’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“I think Kate’s crush has grown. I think she’s in-love with me.”

Ailish takes her glasses off and leans forward. “Does that change things?”

“It does.”

“How?”

“Crushes come and go, they sting a little when you get hurt but they fade. Being in-love means you are so invested in this person. It means that they’ve found a place in your heart. If I tell Kate I don’t love her, she’ll be in pieces.”

“It’s better to tell the truth than to live a lie, Kara. But let me ask you another question, are you sure you don’t love her?” I open my mouth but then close it when I’m not sure how to answer her. “Let me rephrase the questions, are you sure you’re not _in_ -love with her?”

“Positive, but now that you mention it,” I smile and stand up, “I do love her. Like I love Cassie, and Barbara, and Lucy. They’re my friends, they’re my family.”

“Good, good. So you know how she fits in your heart. Now what?”

My smile falls and I sit back down. “I guess I have to tell her the truth. If I don’t, I’ll just be dragging her along. But what if she doesn’t want to see me anymore after that?”

“Then that’s her problem, not yours. If she can’t love you like she should, as a friend, then she has some underlying issues to deal with herself. And if she’s interesting in dealing with them, I have a friend in Gotham who would like to speak with her.”

“Is he a Christian therapist too?”

Ailish smiles and shifts in her seat. “Yes, _she_ is a therapist, and _yes_ she is a Christian. And she’s been in Kate’s shoes, just like I have.”

“Really?”

Ailish stands up and places her notebook on her desk. “We all have issues, Kara. People are broken in ways that only God can heal them. I’m just here to help them see that. But at the same time, meeting with me is voluntary. I can’t force anyone to do anything they don’t want to.”

“So you’ve said.”

“So you’ve let me.”

I stand up and slip on the ball cap I wore into her building. “You know, it won’t be easy telling her the truth.”

Ailish crosses her arms and leans against her desk. “It never usually is.”

**X**

Jimmy adjusts his bowtie for the umpteenth time in the bathroom mirror. Lucy and I look at each other before rolling our eyes. “Jimmy, it’s perfect. Stop messing with it,” I say.

“Yeah James, why mess with perfection?” He stops and gives Lucy a sly look.

“I do look good, don’t I?”

Lucy laughs and grabs Jimmy by the wrist. “Then come on! We’re going to be late.” She lets go of him when they reach the front door.

Once I’m sure we have everything we need, I lock the apartment. “Does everyone have their ticket?” I ask.

“Yes mother.” I smack Lucy in the arm before the three of us enter the elevator. “It’s so cool the gala is on the top floor of your building.”

“Makes travelling easy, doesn’t it?” says Jimmy. I smile at him then press the button for the floor we need.

The three of us arrive an hour before the auction/gala begins. This gives us time to speak to any important people before they get lost in the crowd. The ballroom is not crowded like I expect it will be soon.

I’m speaking with the auctioneer running the silent auction when I see Oliver and Dinah enter the room. After I get all I need from him, I say hello to them.

Oliver gives me a kiss on the cheek and Dinah does the same. “How have you two been?” I say while wiping my cheek to see if any makeup got on it.

“Busy,” answers Dinah. “Between that financial issue and the birds, we’ve barely had time to celebrate our engagement.”

“Or each other,” adds Oliver. Clark tried to accuse Oliver of stealing Lois’s and his engagement thunder; all in jest of course. No one knows about it except a select few.

The financial situation Dinah mentioned is with Colonel Kane. His yearly gala is supposed to raise money for veterans’ homes _and_ women shelters in Gotham. For some reason, he’s been neglecting the shelters and giving all the money to the homes. It doesn’t make any sense.

“Sorry to hear that. What do you know of the finances?”

Dinah leads Oliver and me to an empty balcony. “It has to do with Intergang.”

“Is he involved?”

“Yes and no. Intergang owns every shelter in Gotham and has for a while. They purchased the last shelter a year ago. Kane stopped giving to them because he found out. He didn’t want his money to go to them.”

“Then why not stop giving to the shelters publically?” I realize the answer before Oliver even opens his mouth.

“How do you think that would look PR-wise?”

“Badly. What does Bruce have to say about this?” I ask Dinah.

“A lot. His plan though involves more behind-the-scenes work.” Aka. Batman.

“Got it.” I look at Oliver. “When he arrives, you two need to talk about what your next steps are.”

“You’re not going to be with us?”

“I have work to do,” I push my glasses up my nose, “you two are big boys, you can figure it out on your own.”

Dinah smiles and slides her around Oliver’s arm. “Then we’ll see you later.” She pulls him into the ballroom just as several people step out to enjoy the night’s air.

“You ready for tonight?” I jump at Bruce’s voice. He laughs when I turn and hit him in the chest.

“How are you always able to sneak up on me?”

He smiles. “Practice.”

“Of course.” He hands me a glass of champagne. “How have you been?” I say before taking a sip.

“Good. Busy. You?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Don’t you know?” Bruce looks past me at the people probably staring at us.

“I’ll answer that question in a more private setting.”

“I have one in mind. A setting that is.” He locks eyes with me before giving me a smirk.

I resist the urge to turn around as he walks away. After taking a breath and regaining my composure, I turn to go in the crowded ballroom. Some of the people on the balcony are staring at me. “He wanted to confirm an interview with the Planet,” I say to answer a question running through their brains. I try not to laugh when they whisper among themselves after I leave.

Oliver, Dinah, and Bruce are talking near the temporary stage erected on the other side of the ballroom. It seems serious. Jimmy is taking pictures of some pretty twins while Lucy is flirting with the string-quartet’s cello player. What is it with her and musicians?

“Tonight things change.” Standing behind me is a woman in a white and silver dress. It’s pretty but not eye-catching; the same can be said about the woman.

“Athena?”

The woman smirks. “Aphrodite said you were good at seeing through our disguises. I wonder why?”

“Beats me. What are you doing here?”

Her smile disappears. “Warning you.” Her eyes motion past me. Kate comes in with her cousin Bette in tow. “Keep your guard up tonight.”

“Because of Katherine?”

“Yes and no. A lot will be asked of you tonight.”

I frown. “Athena what’s going on?” She notices the necklace Hephaestus made me. She runs her thumb over the mini sword and shield before looking me in the eyes.

“Be strong, daughter. You will need it.” I get distracted by Colonel Kane introducing Kate. When I go to speak with Athena again, I see she’s gone.

“…and thanks go out to Wayne Enterprises and Queen Industries for their large donations to the auction tonight and also to the shelters themselves.” I decide not to dwell on Athena’s appearance/disappearance and focus on Kate’s speech instead. Oliver and Dinah step on the stage followed by Bruce Wayne. Kate steps back from the microphone to let Oliver thank those who have arrived for the auction.

“…and of course Bruce I’m glad you’re here. But it looks like this year I beat you in the amount of money I donated.” The people laugh. Bruce shrugs his shoulders and smiles as if it’s no big deal.

“Thank you, Mister Queen,” he says after Oliver hands him the microphone. “And thank you all for being here. This is our chance to help those in lower society the best way we can.” He doesn’t add onto that and hands Kate the microphone.

She wraps up by thanking the news teams for being here. “Thank you for joining us as well, Cat Grant of PGN news and her cameraman Dave Winters.” Cat waves her perfectly manicured hand at the audience along with her camera man. “Vicki Vale of Gotham news and her cameraman Charlie Gray.” Vicki ends her conversation with a senator I know and waves to the audience too. “And thanks also go out to the Daily Planet, who by the way, failed to tell us who they were sending.” I inwardly groan. Jimmy was supposed to tell the colonel our names.

The audience laughs as they look around for us. I spot Jimmy waving his hand. “The name is James Olson, but you can call me Jimmy.” The audience laughs again. “I would tell you where my partner is but she’s seemed to have disappeared.” I guess it’s my turn to say hello.

“Relax Jimmy, I’m right here.” My hands are full so I have to wave the hand that’s holding my digital recorder. I end up locking eyes with Kate. She looks shell-shocked.

“Well,” she jumps as soon as her father takes the microphone from her. “Now that the mystery has been solved, let’s enjoy the night.” The people clap and the string quartet plays their music. Bruce, Oliver, and Dinah walk off the stage with the colonel right behind them. Bette Kane passes them as she gets on stage and grabs Kate’s arm. This causes her to break contact with me.

“Miss Danvers, are you ready for that interview?” I smile at the cheery face of Senator Mills. I emailed him earlier in the week about speaking with him tonight. I like some of his plans for the Gotham area.

“Of course. I owe you one. Why don’t we speak on the balcony where it’s quieter?”

He offers me his arm and I take it. “Sounds like a plan.”


	26. Chapter 26

As soon as my conversation with Senator Mills is done, I speak with several other big names. Most of the night is filled with light-hearted conversation with these people and moving from place to place. After speaking with a very old and very slow in speech woman, I take a break in the auction room and grab a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. I’m the only newsperson in the room with the exception of Cat, who is socializing more than working. I watch her attempt to speak with a rather buzzed man in a grey suit when Jimmy comes up to me.

“Have you spoken with Bruce Wayne yet?”

“No, why?”

“I’ve been looking for him all night. No one has seen him in the past hour.”

“Maybe he left.”

“Not before the end of the auction. He placed a bid on a date with Miss Gotham. If he leaves early he forfeits the date.”

“It’s just a date.”

“He still has to give the money if no one outbids him.”

In reality, Bruce wouldn’t care about not getting a date. But with Red Robin, Batgirl, and Robin on patrol, there’s no reason for him to leave early. “Let me look around. I’m sure he’s here somewhere.”

“Well if you find him, can you get an interview with him?”

I salute Jimmy and smile. “Will do cap-i-tan.” He rolls his eyes and shakes his head as he walks away. I do a quick scan of the auction room, ballroom, and balconies but he’s not on this floor. There’s only one place he could be.

I finish my champagne and slide past people until I reach a set of double doors. They’re supposed to be locked but someone unlocked them, and left his key in the door. I take the key and go through the doors. I slip under the velvet rope blocking the stairwell that leads to the actual stop floor. Like the rest of the building, the design of this floor has gothic tones to it and is open like a belfry. It doesn’t take me long to find Bruce staring out an open window with his hands in his pockets.

“Mister Wayne, what _are_ you doing up here?”

Before Bruce even turns around, I already know he’s smiling. “Waiting for you.”

I join him at the window and look out at the city surrounding us. “I like the setting.”

“Is it what you had in mind?”

“No, but it will do.” I tilt my head up at Bruce and cross my arms. “And now that I’m here…” I show him my recorder and he lets out a soft chuckle.

“You’re really going to interview me.”

“It’s in my job description.” I sit down on the window sill and Bruce joins me.

“I rue the day I suggested you take up journalism.”

“You wanted me to follow in Clark’s footprints. It was sweet.”

“And now it’s coming back to bite me in the butt.”

“C’mon Brucie, it’s only a few questions,” I say while waving the recorder in front of him.

“It’s never a few questions with you.”

“Says the pot to the kettle.”

Bruce chuckles again. “Alright, get on with it Danvers.”

“Don’t rush me, don’t rush me.” I clear my throat before turning on the recorder. I start my spiel about how I’m who I am and that I’m speaking to Bruce Wayne, and that he consents to allowing whatever is spoken to be “on the record” and published. “And now Mister Wayne, what are your thoughts on tonight’s events?”

“Tonight, I expect more money than ever will be raised to support the Veteran’s Home and the women shelters placed around Gotham.”

“Mister Wayne, there are rumors that the money is not being used as promised, that the women’s shelters are _not_ being supported. Can you confirm this?”

Bruce’s brow furrows and he tilts his head. I raise my eyebrows and motion him to go with my question. “I can,” Bruce says tentatively. “After extensive research, I discovered that someone has bought every shelter in Gotham. And that Colonel Kane is no longer financially supporting them.”

“What do you have to say about that?”

“Colonel Kane has his reasons. You would have to ask him that.”

“I plan on it. Now, about this date with Miss Gotham…” Bruce and I continue on with the interview. Most of it is about the auction and his personal plans with Miss Gotham if he wins the date. Once we’re done, I turn off the recorder and set it on the ledge next to me.

“Now that that’s over, we can talk,” Bruce says as I turn off the recorder.

I took my shoes off earlier in the interview and was reaching down to put them on when he spoke again. “About what?” I ask while sitting up.

“You know what, Kara.”

“Bruce, not now.”

“Then when!” Bruce never raises his voice, and on those rare occasions it’s never been directed at me. “For almost five months I’ve been driving myself to find out what’s going on with you.”

“And what have you found?”

“That you’re dying.” I’m glad I’m not smiling because if I was, the smile would have slid off my face at this point.

“What makes you say that?”

“That blood sample you sent J’onn a while back, I found it. There are nanites in your blood stream programmed to fix any damage in your body. They wouldn’t be in there if there wasn’t something wrong with you. It’s not your blood, what is it?”

I want to tell him, I so badly want to tell him. But if I do he’ll ruin everything planned. “I can’t tell you. It’s too late. It’s too late now and it was too late back on your plane. This is bigger than you and me, Bruce. It’s just the way it is.”

“That can’t be true.”

I take Bruce’s hand in mine. “You know, I’ve never noticed how much bigger your hand is than mine.”

“Kara…” I rub my thumb over his knuckles then look at him.

“I wish things weren’t the way it is Bruce, I really do. Because…” I stop myself there. I can’t go there. Not now.

“Because what?” I look into his eyes. There’s so much pain and sorrow in those blue pools.

“Because…”

Screw it.

Bruce’s hands slide into my hair as my mouth meets his. My arms wrap around the back of his neck as I pull him in closer. As my fingers gently scratch the back of his neck, his arms tighten around me and pull me closer to him.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The muffled sound reaches my ears. I try to shake it away as Bruce adjusts his arms so he can pick me up.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

I pull back from Bruce. “I think someone’s-” He quiets me with another kiss and I can’t help but smile.

“Is this the bathroom?”

Bruce quickly sets me down. I didn’t realize how high off the ground I was and nearly stumble. The voice that made us break apart comes around the corner. I recognize him.

“Senator Cole?” The senator stops what he’s doing, something between leaning and doing the bathroom dance, and tries to focus on me. “Are you okay?”

“Do you…know where the…” He frowns then looks at some imaginary object on the ground.

“Bathroom?” I ask.

“Yes! Where is it?” I try not to laugh at the rock fist the senator shoots up when he answers.

“Downstairs, sir.”

“Oh…thas no good.”

“Senator Cole. Senator Cole where are–there you are.” I pretty auburn wearing a baby-blue dress approaches the senator and wraps her arm around his shoulders. “I’m so sorry for this. He’s usually quite sober at these events. Come on Senator Cole. Let me take you back to your wife.” Bruce and I watch the buzzed senator walk away with what I assume is his personal secretary, with almost matched intrigue.

“That was weird,” I finally say.

“Tell me about it.” I jump when I feel Bruce’s hand slide around mine. “So, are we going to finish what he interrupted?” I look away from him and take my hand out of his. “I’m going to take that as a no.”

“I’m sorry Bruce. Not for the kiss. That was nice, but it’s bad timing.”

“Funny how that always seems to be the case for us.”

“Maybe it’s meant to be,” I say, walking backwards from Bruce, “us not to be together.”

“Do you really believe that,” he replies as he leans against the window sill.

“Not sure.” I walk around the middle of the room. “Maybe,” I say as I spin around a column, “it’s time to throw in the towel.”

“Not after _that_ kiss.” Bruce watches me as I join him at the window. I lean against the cool rock of the wall and stare at the moon. As I watch the sky, I can feel Bruce watching me.

“Do you remember when Clark brought me and Lois to Gotham?”

“You had been on Earth for six months.”

“You also remember how you were supposed to join us?” Bruce nods. “I had only met you a few times and I thought you were this cold, emotionless robot.”

“I take it you don’t think that now.”

I smile at Bruce. “No, _definitely_ not.” I sit down and take my glasses off to clean them.

“Good.”

“By the way,” I say as I slip them back on. “In that same night, Clark accidently ingested monkey food.”

Bruce laughs. “Did he really do that?”

“You think I’m kidding and I’m not. I’ve never seen a grown man turn so many shades of red in my life.” Bruce laughs then sits down on the sill across from me.

“I wish I could have been there.” I push my glasses up and smile at him.

“I know. But you were busy, and we both know that comes first. That’s what I’m trying to say.”

A slight frown grows on Bruce’s mouth. “Speaking of things coming first, how are you and Wally?”

“We broke-up.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says while not attempting to hide his smile.

I smile and hit him in the arm. “No you’re not, but thank you anyway. It needed to be done. Wally and I do love each other but not that way. Also, he and I both realized we were moving at lightning speed.”

“Was that the problem?”

“No, we just realized we were moving in the _opposite_ direction. We needed certain things from the relationship and we weren’t able to offer that to each other. In the end, it was mutual.”

“Is that how you and Jimmy ended things?”

I shake my head. “No, no that was different. Jimmy and I dated and…and I think we just went out because it seemed right.”

“Emphasis on seemed?”

“Exactly, he and I…we…I don’t know.” I look out the window at the star-lit sky and sigh.

“Do you regret breaking up with Jimmy?” There’s something in Bruce’s voice I can’t place. It sounds like sadness almost but not quite.

I speak without looking at him. “Sometimes.” My eyes fall back on Bruce and I give him a sheepish smile. “I don’t even know why. I guess,” I take a breath before continuing. “I guess my relationship with Jimmy was safe. It was the _only_ thing in my life that was constant. But my traveling put strain on it. It was then we realized if we weren’t willing to fight for our relationship perhaps we weren’t meant to have one at all.”

Bruce leans forward and takes my hands in his. “Who are you okay with having a serious relationship with?” I smile and push my fingers through his hair, my eyes following the movement.

“I think you know.” My eyes meet his. I lean forward slightly and just as I’m within inches of him I pick up on the sound of someone coming up the stairs. I change my destination and whisper in his ear. “Someone’s coming.” We quickly stand up just as the person calls out.

“Linda, are you up here?” I quickly shove my feet back in my heels and Bruce buttons his jacket. “Linda, are you-”

“Over here Lucy!” Lucy comes from behind a pillar and practically skips to me. “Hey Luce, I was just finishing up here.” I turn to Bruce and hold out my hand. “Thank you for your time Mister Wayne. The Daily Planet greatly appreciates it.” Bruce takes my hand in his and kisses my knuckles. I hope there isn’t a blush crawling up my face.

“It was my pleasure, Miss Danvers.” He let’s go of my hand and walks away but stops and turns around. “By the way, tell Lois I said hello and congratulations on her engagement to your cousin.”

“I will.”

When Bruce disappears out of sight, Lucy speaks. “I think he likes you.” I laugh and pick my recorder off the window ledge.

“Lucy, he’s a playboy millionaire and is friendly with everything female.”

“I’m just saying.”

I roll my eyes. “Uh-huh.”

“Look, I came up here because Jimmy is looking for you. The auction closes in another half hour and you two still haven’t spoken with either Colonel Kane or his daughter, who has disappeared by the way.”

I tilt my head and smile. “Has she really?”

“Yes, now come downstairs please.”

“I will, just give me a moment, okay?” Lucy shrugs and walks off. As soon as she disappears I catch sight of something red move out of the corner of my eye. “You can come out of hiding now Katherine.” There’s no reply. “I know you’re behind that column. Your red hair is a little hard to hide when peeking from behind it.” Since she’s not watching me, I float slightly off the ground and sneak up behind her. I land gently and whisper in her ear in order to scare her. “Kate…” Katherine jumps at this and loses balance. She’s about to fall on her face when I get a hold of her arms and pull her back to me. I figured she had more grace than this. “Hello Miss Kane,” I say, mere inches from my face. “And how long have you been hiding here?”

She makes a face that says one thing. Busted.

**X**

“She’s seizing!”

“I know!”

“Shit! She flat-lined!”

“Grab the defibrillator!” Jason turns on the machine and rips Kara’s hospital gown open.

“Wait!” yells out Dr. Havens.

“She’s going to die!”

“I know, wait.” The doctor runs up to the table and sets a large chunk of blue Kryptonite next to Kara.

“Doctor-”

Dr. Havens puts his hand up. “Wait…Now.”

Jason presses the button and the machine shocks Kara. “It didn’t work.”

“Do it again.” The machine charges and Jason shocks Kara but the line is still flat. “One more time.” Jason charges the machine once more and shocks Kara. He and the doctor watch the EKG machine.

Beep.

Jason relaxes as Kara’s slow and steady heartbeat comes back. While Dr. Havens returns the Kryptonite to its lead container, Jason speaks. “Why the Kryptonite?”

“Supergirl’s body is getting stronger. I need to use the rock to do certain procedures.”

“Right. So why’d she seize?”

“I don’t know. We’ve been cleaning her blood of the nanites. Perhaps that has something to do with it.”

“Uh-huh.” Jason sits on the edge of Kara Zir-El’s bed and holds her hand. “You know what’s weird about all this? Kara almost died here in Bludhaven, yet at the same time she’s having fun in Gotham.”

“It is an odd part of our job.”

“How do you do it?” Dr. Havens grabs two lollipops out of a beaker and pops one in his mouth. He hands the other one to Jason then hops up on a mortuary table next to the bed Kara is in.

“I don’t really leave the lab very often. When I do it’s to check on Kara In-Ze. I have a lab assistant who brings me groceries but he’s not allowed this far into the lab.”

“How do you keep an eye on her when you sleep?”

“It was rather difficult at first, but Supergirl gave a helping hand when she could. I also work with Doctor McCoy. She’s not an M.D. but she knows enough about traditional medicine to help when need be.”

Jason nods then sticks his lollipop in his mouth and looks down at Kara. “How does she die?”

“She gets stabbed through the heart.”

“Do you know where?”

Dr. Havens shakes his head. “Supergirl never told me.”

“So she knows how she’s going to die and she probably knows where, yet she still moves forward. Amazing.”

“That she is, Jason.”

“What do you think she’s doing now?”

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, I’m sure all is well.”

**X**

Kate takes a gulp of air and steps back from me. I let out a small chuckle as Kate works to regain her composure. When she’s settled, she looks me in the eyes. Her heart increases in tempo as she looks at me. “Well Katherine Kane, you have yet to answer me.”

She blinks a few times then clears her throat. “Why am I up here?”

I smile and lean against the column she was just hiding behind. “ _How long_ have you been up here?” I remind her.

“A while.”

I roll my eyes. “How long is a while?”

“I don’t know, you and Bruce Wayne were laughing.” I relax slightly. It’s good she didn’t see me without my glasses. I’m about to crack a joke with her when I see movement out of the corner of my eye. Someone is watching. I need to get rid of Kate if I want to know who it is.

“So not long, but long enough to hear what you may not want to hear,” I finally say to Kate.

“What do you mean by that?”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “Oh, I think you know Miss Kane.”

“Look, I just came up here to find you.”

I tilt my head and narrow my eyes at her. “What made you think I was up here?”

“You weren’t downstairs.” I suddenly stand up straight and walk towards her. It catches Kate off guard, but that doesn’t stop me.

“So you decided, after seeing that neither me _nor_ Bruce Wayne was downstairs, to come up here and find me. Then after doing so, you decided to listen in on a private conversation instead of just calling for me.”

“That’s not-”

“Oh, that is _exactly_ how it went.” Her back is against the wall but I don’t stop moving towards her. “You came up here, not for the main reason of wanting to spend time with me.” Her face is only a few inches from mine. “You came up here to make sure I wasn’t sucking face with Bruce Wayne because…you’re jealous.”

The sound of Kate’s hand smacking against my cheek echoes throughout the room.

“How _dare_ you say that?” I keep my eyes on the floor. I don’t dare look at her. Even though the slap didn’t physically hurt, there’s still pain. I caress my left cheek and notice how red her hand is. She hurt her hand. It makes sense; she hit me pretty hard. Slowly, I lean down to pick up my glasses, the glass broken from the fall, and slip them on.

“It’s true though, and you know it,” I say without looking at her. Kate doesn’t say anything. She just pushes past me angrily and heads for the stairs. I sigh and lean against the wall.

 

Sometimes I really hate myself.


	27. Chapter 27

“Hey Linda, have you seen–what happened to your glasses?” Lucy goes to take my glasses off but I pull back from her and gently move her hands away.

“I tripped on my way downstairs. My glasses fell off.”

“Wow, they landed just right. The crack goes right through the middle of the lens.” She follows the crack with her finger when she says this.

“Yeah, I was on my way to the coat closet to grab my spare.”

“Okay, if you see Jimmy, tell him I’m looking for him.”

“Will do, Luce.”

Lucy walks away then waves to the cello player she was speaking with earlier. I go up to the lady running the coat closet and show her my ticket. She nods then goes into the closet to grab my glasses.

“Rough night?” she asks when she comes back and hands them to me.

I pause for a moment and get a good look at her. “You would know, Athena.”

“I warned you.”

“You didn’t tell me…” I lower my voice and continue. “You didn’t tell me _I_ was going to be the one to change things.”

“Your night’s not over yet, Kara. There’s a lot still to come.”

“Great,” I breathe out as I lean on the counter and lay my head in my hands.

Athena pats me on the back. “Come. Let’s talk in here.” I follow Athena into the large coat closet and sit with her on a padded piano bench near the door. “What’s going on Kara?”

“Don’t you know?”

Athena smiles softly then shakes her head. “I can only see events. I’m not a mind reader.”

I lean against the wall and sigh. “I’m so tired. I’m tired of everything. Of hiding who I am from people, of being two _different_ people…of being afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Of dying.” I can’t stop the crack in my voice. Athena rests her hand on mine and squeezes it gently. “In one month, something goes through my heart and kills me in some battle somewhere. And that scares me.”

“What else scares you?” This question is a little harder to answer.

“Being honest.”

“You’re being honest with me.”

“You’re easy to be honest with. With other people, I just can’t be honest about everything. I hate lying but I feel like if I share what’s really on my mind then I’ll be a disappointment to them.”

“But if you lie to them Kara, you’ll never heal and your relationships will never grow.”

“Hm, sounds like something Aphrodite would say.”

“She and I have been speaking quite a bit lately. She even told me of a certain kiss with a certain millionaire.” I cringe. “So you kiss him then minutes later stab Kate in the heart.” My cringe melts to frown.

“She saw that, huh?”

“Kara, I know you’re scared and upset about the future, but it’s not right to take it out on Kate. And it’s _definitely_ not right to go and kiss Bruce with war looming.”

“War? I thought this was just a battle?”

Athena uses her hands to smooth out the skirt she’s wearing. “Ares has felt a shift in the energies. This battle is not a onetime thing. It is the beginning of a war.”

“Between whom?”

“We do not know yet. And we are a little afraid to find out.” Athena stands up suddenly. “Hera is calling me.” She looks down at me. “Be ready, Kara. I know you’re afraid of the future but you shouldn’t be.”

“Why? Because you aren’t?”

Athena shakes her head. “Fear resides in the hearts of _all_ Olympians. Even myself.”

“Then why should I not fear?”

She smiles and touches her hand to my cheek. “Because you are Kara Zor-El, and your destiny lies within this battle. Don’t fear it, embrace it.” Athena disappears before my eyes. I allow myself some peace and quiet before standing up and opening the door to the closet.

I pause for a moment when I’m greeted with Colonel Kane standing at the counter. “I take it you’re not the coat girl.”

I shake my head. “I had to get something from my coat. No one was here so I just went in.”

“Do you know where she went? I’m not paying her to disappear.” I shake my head. “I guess that’s the last time I use Olympus Temp Services.”

I can’t help but smile. “I guess so.” He goes to walk away but I’m not done with him yet. “Maybe you should invest that money in the Women’s shelters then.” Though his steps falter, there is no other physical reaction I can get from him; even his heart is calm.

He turns to face me. “What do you mean by that?”

“Just that,” I step from behind the counter, “your money is best served helping those who actually need help.”

“That’s what tonight’s auction is for.”

“So you say, but _my_ sources say otherwise.”

Colonel Kane looks around to make sure there’s no one close by. “Perhaps we should speak in private, Miss…

“Danvers. And perhaps we should.”

Colonel Kane leads me past the ballroom and down a hallway. He opens it and allows me to step in. I take the liberty of sitting in a leather chair that faces a desk. He chooses to stand behind it and stare at the bookshelf against the back wall. “So Miss Danvers, what do you know?” I shift in my seat and answer him.

           

**Meanwhile, in the next room sits Kate Kane…**

I look at the clock. It’s almost midnight. That means the party has been over for a short while. As I lean my head against the armchair I’m pouting in, I hear voices from the next room. One of them is the unmistakable tenor of my father. The other is definitely female but I can’t tell who it is. I get up from my seat and go over to the sliding doors that separate the two studies. There is a small crack between them. I lean as close to the door as possible and listen in.

“It would be wise of you, Colonel Kane, to think over what I’ve said.” I finally recognize the voice. It belongs to Linda.

“And I’m telling you, Miss Danvers, I do not appreciate what you are accusing me of.” Great, first Linda attacks me and now she is attacking my father. I’m not particularly happy with the man but he is still my father and Linda should not be acting like a jerk. Okay, perhaps jerk is not a strong enough word to describe what I’m feeling towards her, but at the same I can’t bring myself to call her anything worse.

“I’m not accusing you of anything, Colonel. I’m _telling_ you that I know what you’ve been doing and that I _will_ print it.”

“I’ll sue you for libel!” I hear my father’s hands slam against the desk he uses.

“You won’t be able to do that Colonel, not with Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne backing me up.” My father goes quiet, not a good sign.

“They know?”

“Of course they know. They aren’t millionaires–or to be correct–billionaires just because they’re hot. Both Mister Queen and Mister Wayne are bright men and figured it out. That’s why all the money they donated went only to those homes for battered women.” I hear my father sigh. It’s a sign of defeat for him.

“What do you think will happen to me?” I can hear the leather seat Linda must be sitting in moan as she shifts.

“Probably a slap on the wrist along with a few other legal things, but you won’t go to jail. What you did wasn’t illegal, just stupid.” I can hear my father get up from his chair.

“If you will excuse me, Miss Danvers, I need to go handle something.” I hear my father walk away and leave the room. Linda is alone and just on the other side of this door. I think it’s time I talk with her…

“Is he gone?”…or not.

 

**In the room with Kara and Jimmy…**

“No Jimmy, he’s just invisible.” Jimmy closes the door.

“You know what I mean. Anyway, what did he say?”

I shrug. “Nothing really. I told him what would happen and he accepted it.”

“Really?”

“What can I say, when I’m right, I’m right.” Jimmy laughs and leans against Col. Kane’s desk.

“Do you really think he’s involved with Intergang?”

“No, I just needed to ruffle his feathers a little. Colonel Kane may be a liar but he is a true patriot. He would never work with Intergang because they represent everything the USA is _not_. Or not supposed to be.”

Jimmy nods. “What about his daughter?”

I sigh and adjust my glasses. “Kate Kane is also a patriot, in a sense. So no, she’s not involved with Intergang.”

“And what about your personal relationship with her?”

“How did you-”

“A reporter never reveals his sources.” I reach forward and punch Jimmy in the leg. “Ow, that hurt!”

“Good, ‘cause you deserved it.” Jimmy makes a face at me while rubbing his leg.

“That was an important question, one that you need to answer.”

I sigh again. “Jimmy, I’m an idiot.”

“Hallelujah, she figured it out.” I punch Jimmy in the other leg.

“I’m being serious here James, I _really_ messed up.” Jimmy stops rubbing both of his legs and folds his arms.

“What did you do?” he asks.

“I said something stupid.”

“Did you spoil it all by saying something stupid like ‘I love you’?” I can’t help but laugh slightly at Jimmy’s attempt at humor.

“I wish,” I say before taking a breath. “I…I said something cruel. I took these feeling I know she has and pushed them in her face.”

“Why’d you do that?”

“I dunno. Because I’m leaving in two weeks and can’t have her _feeling_ for me. I’ve only known her for a little less than a month but this friendship we have is… _intense_. And I don’t know what to do with it.”

“So you decide to be a jerk so she’ll not care if you leave? That’s kind of stupid Linda, especially for you.”

“I know, but there’s a second reason.” Jimmy lifts his chin slightly and crosses his longs legs. “While we were up on the top floor, something didn’t feel right. Someone was watching us.” Jimmy shoots off the desk.

“Who?”

“I’m not sure, but my best bet is Night Shadow.”

“The assassin for Intergang?” I get up from my seat and shush Jimmy. The boy needs volume control.

“Yell that louder, why don’t you? I’m sure downtown Gotham didn’t hear you.” Jimmy looks down at his feet and shuffles a little.

“Sorry. But still, why would Intergang send Night Shadow after you, even just to observe you?”

“They must realize I’m investigating them. They’re just waiting for me to give them something new.”

“Like the location of the witness.”

I snap my fingers and point at Jimmy. “Exactly, it’s only a matter of time until I know where he is.”

“Why do you want to know where he is? Isn’t it safer for you to remain ignorant of the location?”

“Let’s just say I’m doing it for a friend.”

Jimmy smiles and leans back on the desk. “This ‘friend’ wouldn’t happen to be blonde, tall, and maybe fly?”

“Maybe,” I say with a wink. Jimmy stands up and pats me on the shoulder.

“Supergirl better realize how good she has it with you.” I smile widely at Jimmy.

“Oh, she does.” He moves around me and towards the door.

“Good night, Linda. And make sure you send your story to Perry no later than tomorrow at eight am. Oh, and I’m taking Lucy home.”

I adjust my glasses. “You’re not going to _drive_ her all the way to Metropolis, are you?”

“Oh course not. You know her plane leaves today at five am. I booked the same flight.” I nod to show Jimmy I understand. He closes the door behind me and leaves. I take a moment to decompress, and I’m about to leave when I hear a noise in the room adjacent to the office. When I open the sliding doors, I’m greeted with the back of Kate.

“Kate?” She slowly turns and stares at me.

“Hey.” Her reply is weak and her voice is raspy. I step completely through the doors and into the study then take a deep breath before speaking.

“Kate, I-I need to talk with you about earlier.” She goes to say something but I raise my hand to stop her. “But not here.” I step forward until I’m only a foot away from her. “Would you care to come with me to my apartment?”

“W-Why?”

“We need to talk about what happened upstairs. Please?”

Kate nods. “I’ll grab my coat and purse.”

I smile and touch my hand gently to her elbow to show my appreciation. “Thank you. I need to speak with someone before we leave first, okay?” She nods. “Thank you.”

There’s an awkward silence before I step away from her and leave what I assume is a library or a much larger office. I head back to the coat closet to grab my coat. Athena has returned. She gives me a wink with my coat. I mouth ‘thank you’ to her and I’m about to walk away when someone calls out to me.

“Hey, Linda! Wait!” Dinah is walking briskly towards me.

“Hey Dinah, what’s up?”

“We need to talk.” Looks like Athena was right, my night is going to be longer than I expected.


	28. Chapter 28

Dinah and I are upstairs where Bruce and I had spoken and where I hurt Katherine. I would rather not be up here, but we’re in a corner away from windows. It’s the best location considering what we’re speaking about; plus, I’ve got my super-senses set on high alert.

“…if all goes well, we’ll have successfully exposed a small piece of Intergang’s underbelly,” Dinah finishes explaining.

For the past 15 to 20 minutes, Dinah has been explaining to me the Birds of Prey’s plan. It’s set up to draw out and distract certain high-level Intergang members. The end result is hopefully going to be the Gotham City Police Department taking down a healthy chunk of Intergang leadership.

“I don’t know, Dinah. This sounds risky, even for the Birds.”

“We’ve been playing it safe for several months now. If we don’t go through with this plan, we might miss our opportunity completely.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Starling has been keeping a close eye on their weapons division–the one the GCPD is focused on–and she says they’re planning to move soon. What that means exactly, we don’t know.”

I let out a long breath and take my glasses off to rub the bridge of my nose. “I don’t like this, Di,” I say with my eyes closed. “My instincts tell me this is going to end badly.”

“Then come with us.” I look up at her and slip my glasses on.

“I can’t. I’m taking Kate Kane to my apartment for a rather important and much needed conversation tonight.”

Dinah raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. “You’re ditching two totally hot women who are planning on kicking butt tonight for someone who’s not even involved?”

A smirk curls the corner of my mouth and I shrug. “What can I say? I like red-heads.” I stand and take a step towards Dinah. I switch gears and take on a more serious note. “It’s important for me to have this conversation, Di. You’re going to have to face Intergang without Supergirl.”

Dinah sighs and uncrosses her arms. “Fine.”

I smile then check my watch. It’s late. I gently touch Dinah’s upper arm and lead her towards the stairs. “Besides, it’s not like you need me. You even said that yourself earlier.”

Dinah pauses at the top of the steps and looks at me. “I know. It’s just nice to have you as back-up.” I pat her arm and we head downstairs.

“If anything happens, you know how to reach me.”

“I do.”

We walk in silence as we make our way past the ballroom. By now, a large majority of the guests are gone. I make a stop by the coat closet and grab my jacket. Originally, after the gala Jimmy, Lucy, and I were going to get some bubble tea and pho (pronounced fu) from one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants; clearly, that’s no longer the case.

Dinah makes a comment about Oliver having her jacket then decides to walk with me to the exit. “I was just thinking. Babs and I haven’t been out in a while. And knowing you, you haven’t been out in a while either.”

I fake being offended and make a gasp. “I will have you know, Lucy and I went out three times this past week to seven different clubs.”

Dinah raises her hands in defense. “Wow, my mistake. Remind me to never think of you as the ‘quiet-stays-home-and-reads-a-book-in-the-tub-girl’ again.”

“Why can’t I be both?”

Dinah laughs and continues her train of thought from earlier. “Anyway, I was just thinking that it might be fun to go out soon. Besides, you and I both know a buzzed Barbara is an atrociously, flirty Barbara.”

I laugh and finally notice Kate standing by the elevator. “Alright Dinah, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Dinah must have noticed Kate before me because she doesn’t even bother looking at her. “Make sure Babs comes too.”

“I will.” Dinah and I hug. She pulls away first and walks back to the ballroom. I watch until she disappears around the corner before turning to Kate. “So, you ready?” Kate doesn’t answer but simply nods. “Great.”

I hit the down button and we enter the elevator as soon as the doors open. Then I press the button for the 15th floor.      

Since the top five floors are lofts and large apartments, Kate and I have to get out and go to another elevator that will take us to my new apartment. The ride down is quiet. It’s not until it stops and we get out that Kate says something.

“So, what were you and Dinah Lance talking about?”

Kate’s probably been itching to ask me about Dinah since she saw us together. “Nothing important, just talk of a girl’s night out.” We show two security guards out ID’s; driver’s license for Kate and press badge for me. Once we’re out of earshot of them, Kate asks another question.

“I didn’t realize you were on friendly terms with her.”

“Technically, I was on friendly terms with Oliver Queen first, but that’s another story for another night.”

“Did, um...did Oliver Queen introduce you to Dinah?”

“No, Barbara introduced us a long time ago.” I open a door for Kate then follow behind her. “Actually, I met Dinah a year before then but it never amounted to anything until we found out we shared a best-friend.”

“Barbara is Dinah Lance’s best-friend?” I smile and push the down button for the second elevator before sliding my glasses up.

“Yep. Small world isn’t it?” Once the elevator opens we step in and I hit the button for the 12th floor.

“How do you afford to live here?”

I raise my eyebrows at the question. “Being a little blunt, aren’t we?” Kate shifts her feet and hugs her coat closer. She’s nervous about something; I’m not sure what though.

“Sorry, I was just curious.”

“A friend, and that’s all you need to know.” My voice comes across as harsh and I inwardly flinch. I guess the Birds going out on a limb and risking everything with their new mission has put me on edge more so than I thought. Athena was right; I am taking my frustrations out on Katherine.

Kate doesn’t speak anymore and leans against the elevator wall during the rest of the ride down. The elevator soon opens and she follows me out. As we walk down the hallway, her heart starts to beat faster. It shoots up even higher when I put my key in the door. Geez, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was on the verge of a heart-attack. As soon as we enter her apartment, Kate lets out a long whistle and her heart starts to slow.

“Like it, huh?” She simply nods as she scans the apartment. “Yeah, it’s okay. But I wouldn’t call it home. Make yourself at home, Kate. I’m going to get changed into something more comfortable.”

I head to my room and lock the door. When I take my dress off, I let out a breath. I love dressing up as much as the next girl, but at the end of the day I’m more of a jeans and t-shirt person.

It doesn’t take me long to get changed into a plain white t-shirt and jean shorts. When I head into the living room, I find Kate staring at the few personal pictures I have. Her back is to me so she doesn’t see me approach her.

I watch her put down the picture of me with my adoptive parents and Clark and pick up another. When I’m close enough, I can see what picture it is.

“The ginger is Wally West and the girl was my friend Mary.” Kate jumps and spins around to face me.

Her face shows surprise; probably not used to someone sneaking up on her. She looks me up and down and relaxes before speaking. “W-Was?” She hands me the picture frame; I place it back in its spot.

“She died from cancer three years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

I give her a soft smile and shrug. “You can’t change the past. You can only move forward.”

“What about Wally?”

I turn from Kate and walk into the kitchen. “Wally and I met on a run, so to speak, and sort of hit it off. We dated for a while.”

“Was this before or after you dated Jimmy Olsen?”

“After. Actually, to be honest we broke-up around the same time I came to Gotham.”

“Wow, so not long ago.”

When I open my fridge I frown. I usually keep it well-stocked but I guess my work on the Intergang story has gotten me to order-out more than usual. Typical. “Nope, in fact it happened the same day we met in the coffee shop–by the way, do you like grilled cheese? 'Cause that’s all I got.” Kate laughs. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

I pull out the cheese from my cheese/meats drawer and the bread and plop it on the counter. Then I grab two plates from the cabinets and pop four slices of bread into the toaster. With nothing else to do, I face Kate and lean against the counter with a smile. I frown when I realize she’s still in her formal clothes. “Do you want something to change into? I’m sure you’re ready to rip off that dress by now.”

The smile on Kate’s face disappears after the words leave my lips. I open my mouth to say something about it when the toast pops up. While making our sandwiches, I speak to Kate with my back to her.

“If you go to the back of the apartment, you’ll find my bedroom. There’s a drawer on the far wall. The drawers in the middle are all t-shirts and the bottom two drawers are pajamas and shorts. Why don’t you change out of that dress while I get our food ready?”

The room goes quiet after she leaves. After putting the cheese on the toasted bread, I put them in the microwave for 15 seconds. Just as I finish making the sandwiches my phone rings.

“Danvers.”

 _“Hey, where are you?”_ It’s Detective Sawyer.

“Um, home. And you?”

_“On my way to the usual meeting place.”_

“Why?”

_“You sent me a text to meet you.”_

“I did no such thing.”

_“I got it an hour ago. I checked. It came from your phone.”_

“I…” There’s only one person I know who could have sent a text and made it look like my actual phone sent it. Oracle. “Right, I sent it. I’m sorry Sawyer. I’ve been a little distracted lately.

 _“Is Kate there?”_ Now why would she ask that?

“Yes, she’s here. Is that a problem?

_“No, I was just curious.”_

“I see.” Yeah, right.

_“Look, I’m not trying to pry, it’s just-”_

“Never mind Sawyer, now what exactly do you want?”

 _“Shouldn’t_ I _be the one asking that, since_ you’re _the one who sent the text?”_ Maggie doesn’t give me the chance to answer her and continues. _“Forget it. A source of mine reached out to me. He gave me some info having to do with the key witness for the trial coming up. This includes gender, name, place of origin, and where she’s being held now. The funny thing is he told me the information was originally for you. Interesting, huh?_

I make a face. “That is interesting.” Drake had to have been the source. I knew he was doing some freelance work with a few detectives, but that doesn’t explain why he gave the witness information to Maggie. Either something happened to him or he’s trying to send a message. If I’m going to find out the truth, a decision needs to be made. “How soon do you want me to be there?”

_“Now. We can’t waste another moment.”_

“Understandable.”

_“Do you think you can get away from Kate for a little while?”_

_“_ I’m sure Kate won’t mind.”

 _“Funny, whenever I have to rush off, Kate gets upset. Must be your geeky magnetism.”_ I smile and shake my head at the geek comment. _“Anyway, I’ll be at the warehouse soon. I’ll see you then.”_

“Okay, see you soon, Sawyer.” I snap my phone shut then let out a sigh. All I wanted was a quiet night to unwind with my friends. I guess I’ll rest when I’m dead.

I shudder at the thought then remember I’m not alone in this apartment. And funny enough, my apartment is awfully quiet for having two people in it; one of which is supposed to be in my bedroom getting changed. “Hey Kate, are you dressed?”

“Yeah, I’m dressed,” she says just as she comes around the corner. I thought as much; it doesn’t take super-hearing to know she was listening in on my conversation. “Um, I didn’t have a bra underneath my dress. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, it’s okay.” I slip my phone in my back pocket and move towards Kate. Slowly, I take her dress from her and fold it properly before setting it on the back of the couch. I hope she is as understanding as I think she is.

“Look Kate, I’ve got to go.”

Kate feigns surprise. “Really? Why?”

“Work. There’s been a break in the Intergang story. I need to go and meet a source. Are you okay with staying here by yourself?” She nods. “Cool, I’m going to head back to my room and get changed. After I leave, you can hang out here and maybe read a book. I’m sorry I don’t have a TV.”

“That’s okay.”

I smile and kiss the top of her head. “You’re fantastic, you know that Kane?” I was so focused on Maggie I’m not sure how much of the conversation Kate heard. It doesn’t matter; knowing Kate, she’ll probably follow me. Hopefully, she won’t mess-up my meeting with Maggie.

I rush to my room and get dressed using normal and super-speed. When I have my journalism gear, I rush out of my room. Kate is standing in the living room with my grilled cheese and my jacket. She hands it to me and I’m out the door.

I’m not an idiot. I know that as soon as I’m in the elevator, Kate will grab her things and follow me. It would be un-Kate if she didn’t. It would be un- _Batwoman_ if she didn’t.

 

**Batwoman’s POV…**

Finding out where Linda went was not as easy as I thought it would be. I had a hunch to where she was going though (and it also helped I put a tracker on her jacket before she left). I watch her from behind a shipping freight as she enters the warehouse she met Canary in a week ago. As soon as she disappears into the building, I run across the dock and aim for the same window I went in when I first spied on her. I slip through the window and step onto the balcony lightly.

I creep up to the banister and look down at the floor. I don’t like what I see. Maggie is lying on the floor unconscious. I’m about to jump down and help her when Linda shoots out of the dark.

“Maggie!” Linda gets down on both knees and checks Maggie for a pulse. She must have found one because she starts looking over her body. “Come on Maggie wake-up, come on.”

“She won’t wake-up.” Linda gets up on one knee then pushing herself to stand, turns around to see who spoke. I can’t see them because they’re hidden in the dark. Linda’s back is to me.

“You?” Apparently, Linda sees _and_ knows who hurt Maggie.

“Hey girl.” Linda starts shaking her head and takes a few steps towards the voice.

“But why?”

“I need to do this Linda. I need to protect them.” Linda takes another step forward and places a hand on her heart, I think.

“ _I_ can protect them, or Connor, or somebody.”

“I didn’t have a choice.” I can hear the desperation in this person’s voice.

“There is _always_ a choice,” says Linda.

“Not this time.” What happens next, takes place in slow-motion.

The firing of the gun, the bullet ripping through Linda’s body, Linda falling down by Maggie’s feet, the look of terror and surprise on her face; everything moved like it was going through water. Then there’s me screaming and throwing a bat-a-rang into the dark, hoping it hits its mark.

 

**Kara’s POV…**

I hear a scream and a black shadow with hints of red shoots across my blurry vision. The blue Kryptonite bullet is doing its job and doing it quickly. It seems the plan is working flawlessly. Though I think I’m losing more blood than expected.

I feel the pull of sleep when Batwoman leans over me. “Stay with me, Linda. You have to stay with me.” She’s here. I knew she’d be. I hope she didn’t mess-up the new plan. I _really_ hope she didn’t mess-up the new plan.


	29. Chapter 29

The pounding in my head and the pressure around my eyes forces me to open them to the soft-white lighting of the hospital. As they adjust to take in the visual surroundings, the rest of my senses follow. The steady beeping of heart monitors and the shuffling of nurses’ shoes fills the rooms. The thin, clinically soft hospital gown and sheets rub against my skin. I flex my fingers and keep shifting and moving until my back lifts off the bed. I’m pleasantly surprised to feel no pain and the delicious ache that comes with a well-rested body; something I haven’t felt in almost five months.

I look around for my clothes but I can’t find them. They must have been removed and probably disposed because of the blood. Pity, I really liked those jeans. When I flex my hands again, I feel something around my right, ringer finger; it’s a gold ring with a yellow stone.

When I rub my left hand over it, I feel a warm pulse go through my body. A smile graces my lips when I realize it’s a sun ring. Kal created several from a rather large meteor headed for an inhabited planet whose name was hard to pronounce, even for me. They can be used to slowly recharge Kryptonian cells from any form of damage. The only downside is the stones only last so long. Based upon the pale yellowness of this one, it’s on its last legs.

Before I get out of the bed, I pull the intravenous needle out of my hand and watch the skin heal. I also carefully slip the finger monitor off and flex my fingers for a final time before throwing the blankets off of me and setting my feet on the floor. I can still feel the coldness of it that only comes when my powers have been stripped from me.

The coldness fades as I pad around the bed to sneak a peek at the room I’m in from behind the white curtain that protects me from prying eyes. I get a good glimpse at the clock to see it’s close to 3 am. Even this early in the morning, there are more nurses in here than I’d like. And from my surroundings, I take a guess I’m in the ICU.

With my cellphone and other belongings somewhere else, that leaves me with little to no choice but to stay in my corner. I sigh and sit gingerly on the bed. It’s only a matter of time before someone discovers I’m up and about. My hand shoots to my face when I realize my glasses are gone. This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all.

“Miss? Are you okay?” I flinch at the sound of a female voice behind me and slowly turn to face whoever it is. I smile. I know her.

“Helena?” She smiles back and closes the curtain behind her. She’s wearing nurse scrubs and her hair is pulled back in an uncharacteristically tight ponytail, but it’s definitely her.

“Miss me?” I hop out of bed and throw myself in her arms.

“How are you here? How was China? How’s Karen? How are you here?” I ask with an inhuman speed after I pull away from her.

“Slow down there, kid,” she says as she pats my left cheek. “I’ll answer all your questions later, but right now we have to get out of here.” I watch Helena move the curtain and take a look at the floor’s activity.

There aren’t many people who can make me feel like a kid when I’m with them; Helena is one of them. She and Karen were my mentors on and off throughout the years. They have nothing in common and couldn’t be more different, but together they make one heck of a team.

“All right, kiddo,” she reaches back for me, “you ready?” I smile and take her hand. A beat later she guides me out of the ICU and eventually out of the hospital.

**X**

Jason Todd jolts awake and reaches out for Kara. His hand freezes inches from her face; it had been a nightmare. Kara had not gone into cardiac arrest then woken up as some monster. She most certainly hadn’t tried to kill him while spouting out her disgust for him.

His hand runs through his hair and scratches at the back of his head. It’s almost 3 am. Dr. Havens is out cold on his personal cot and listening to his mp3 player filled with nothing but the sounds of nature; whale calls in particular. And as much as Jason would like to sleep on the rather uncomfortable chair and stay by Kara’s side for as long as possible, being exhausted will help her very little. He needs to go to bed.

He squeezes her hand lightly and leans forward to kiss her on the forehead. He can’t help but rest his forehead on hers though, just to feel the warmth in his soul that comes from being close to the one you love. He’s never been a particularly religious or spiritual person, but he feels himself say a small prayer for Kara. It’s a simple plea, not just to God but to Kara as well, for her to wake-up.

If God has the whole world in His hands and nothing is outside of His reach, then maybe it’s in His plan to keep Kara alive. At least, that’s what Jason hopes. He kisses her head once more before standing straight up and pulling his hand away.

Jason freezes and looks down at the hand that loosely grips his. “Jay…” The nickname is quiet and raspy but rings loudly in his ears.

“Kara?” Her eyes flutter but don’t open completely. “Kara,” Jason leans down and pleas in her ear, “wake-up. You have to wake-up, Kara. _Please._ ” There’s no reaction from her.

He closes his eyes and rests his forehead against her temple and listens to the beeping of the EKG machine. Eventually, he feels the lull of sleep again as the beeping becomes a lullaby. It’s not until he feels something wet hit his nose that he opens his eyes.

Kara is crying.

Only a few tears have fallen, but it’s enough to give Jason hope that Kara will wake-up soon. Hopefully not as the monster she had once been.

**X**

Barb’s brow furrows deeper as Helena explains how she got me out of the hospital. Her tale of how she was able to slip me by countless people, get me dressed, and then out of the hospital is not what’s making Barbara frown though. It’s the fact she’s talking _while_ eating one of Alfred’s should-be-famous chocolate-chip cookies that’s bothering Barb.

“Could you please, just not…”

Helena smiles and casts a sidelong glance at me before swallowing the last of her cookie. “Is something wrong, Babs?” The nickname does nothing to lighten Barbara’s mood. In fact, I’m pretty sure it just ticks her off.

“Everything’s fine. Now, are you done?”

“Regaling you with my masterful plan? Yeah, I’m done. I do have a question for you though.”

Barbara adjusts her glasses. “What?”

“Now that I’m back in the states, do I get a chance to horn in on this Intergang case?”

“That’s Dinah’s decision. She’s headlining this one.”

“Gotcha,” Helena says with nod and a slight shrug; it’s a tell that lets me know she’s doesn’t like the answer she got. I once thought to tell her she about it, but Karen and later on Dinah, advised against it. The moment she realizes she does that is the moment it becomes harder for her closest friends to read her body language.

Barbara notices it too, but of course says nothing. “I’ll send Dinah a message about your return. I’m sure she’ll need your help somewhere.” She’ll try to advise Dinah to find something for Helena. Though, with what’s been done so far, I doubt there’s anything for her to do other than join in the hunt for Night Shadow. Then again, the Huntress has always enjoyed a good chase.

Helena crosses her arms and shrugs again but this time without the nod. “Good, there’s only so much time I can spend with my feet propped up.” I smile at the imagery.

The three of us chat for a little longer, but because Helena never liked small talk she leaves after a few minutes. I walk her to her motorcycle and say goodbye to her with a hug.

“Tell Karen I look forward to hearing about China.”

“I will. See you around, kiddo.”

“See ya, Hel.” I step back to let Helena start her motorcycle and leave the platform. “I never understood why the two of you don’t get along completely,” I say to Barb before I reach the top of the stairs.

“Really?” Barbara says as she points to the monitor that shows Helena leaving through the east cave entrance. “The woman prides herself on her ability to get under people’s skin.”

“She never got under mine.”

“That’s because you’re made of steel.”

Barbara brings her work back up she had been doing when Helena brought me here. It’s the preliminary report on Night Shadow. There’s not a lot of information. Not as much as I wanted, but Barbara has been working on it ever since the Birds of Prey took on the Intergang case.

“It doesn’t feel like it.”

“Huh?”

I make the choice to take Barbara’s hand so she’ll focus on me. “I need to tell you something. I-” A finger pressing against my lips stops me. “This is a little awkward,” I say against Barbara’s index finger. She pulls her hand away and slaps me in the shoulder.

“I know.”

“You know? You know what?” I say while rubbing my arm; a reaction to being slapped than to one of pain.

“I know you’ve been going through something rough. Something you feel you can’t share with me.”

“Babs-” She raises her hand again a few inches from my face.

“Let me finish.” She slips the hand I’m holding from my grip and turns her wheelchair to better face me. She takes both my hands in hers before continuing. “You know you can speak with me about _anything_. But sometimes, I know, there are some things you _can’t_ speak to me about. And I hate that. I…I just want you to know I’m here for you. Okay?”

I smile and place my free hand on hers. “Barbara, I love you. You’re my best-friend. That’s never going to change, _ever_. But I don’t think it’s wise to tell you what’s going on with me. I _want_ to, but I don’t think it’s good if I do. So, for the time being you’re going to have to be ignorant of what’s happening. And I’m not asking you to be okay with that, I’m just asking you to…well, I don’t know what I’m asking of you.” My grip on Barbara’s hands tightens. “Can you just be here for me?”

“Of _course_ I can.” Barbara’s voice cracks and there are tears forming in her eyes. She pulls me in for a hug. “I’m here for you, sweetie. I always will be,” she says while hugging me tightly to her. It’s not common knowledge but Barbara Gordon has always given the best hugs, still does.

Bruce’s west entrance sensor goes off to warn of an approaching vehicle. Barbara and I pull apart and see it is level blue, so it’s someone from Batman Inc.

Barbara pulls her hands from mine. “Well, speak of the red-headed devil.”

She and I watch Batwoman enter the Batcave through the monitor. The roar of her motorcycle is easy to pick up as soon as she enters the cave. I continue listening until she shuts her engine off after parking on the lower platform.

“Well, this should be interesting,” Barbara remarks.

“You think?”

“How are you going to explain being dressed in Linda Danvers’ clothes?”

“I’ll think of something.”

“Enlighten me, because-”

“Hey Barbara, I need-” Barbara stops talking and looks up at Batwoman. I try to hide my smile by taking a bite of a cookie.

“Hello Kate. And how are you this night?” I ask after swallowing. She opens and closes her mouth a few times then speaks to Barbara.

“Barbara, I need your help. Tonight-”

“I know.”

“Good because we need to find her.”

“No, you don't,” I say after finishing my cookie. Batwoman looks at me and grits her teeth. Since I’m wearing my normal clothes, I have to remind myself that I’m Kara speaking and not Linda.

“Why not?”

“Because she is safe with me.” Barbara laughs and grabs a cookie from the plate. From the look on her face, I can tell she’s caught on with my plan.

“Supergirl is dressed like this because she needed to sneak into the hospital incognito. If she had retrieved Linda through the window then Intergang’s spies would have seen her.”

“Right,” I add to Barb’s explanation. “And dressing like this allowed me to get in and out without being seen.”

Batwoman raises her right hand to stop me from continuing. “Okay, I get that you can get in and out without being seen because of your super-speed, but what about Linda? It’s not like moving her would have been easy.” Barbara and I smile at each other but we don’t say a word. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“Probably not,” Barbara says with a mouth full of cookie. I’m about to join her with mine when Batwoman grabs me by the arm and drags me away from Barbara into a quiet little corner filled with machinery.

“On a serious note, how is Linda?” I smile and lean against a piece of machinery.

“She’ll be fine. The doctors did a good job of getting control of the bleeding. Right now she’s recovering.”

“And let me guess, she’s doing this with the help of your magical mix.” I push off the machine and step closer to her.

“It is _not_ magical, it is a scientific formula created by Kryptonian doctors to heal those suffering from blunt-force trauma.”

“Whatever you say, Supergirl.”

Batwoman goes to walk away but I stop her. “Kara, call me Kara.” She focuses more intently on me then gives me a look over using just her eyes.

“Batwoman, Supergirl, come here. There is something I need you to see.” Batwoman and I join Barbara at the computer to see what she’s found.

On the computer screen is a picture of a Dr. Geoffrey Barns.

“Are you sure that’s him Barbara?” I ask. Barbara nods slightly and brings up the information about him and puts it adjacent to his picture.

“Doctor Geoffrey Barns, aka, Night Shadow.”

“That’s Night Shadow, the assassin for Intergang?” Batwoman asks. Barbara pulls up more information.

“Doctor Geoffrey Barns was working for Star Labs, L.A division,” I read out loud, “on a project called ‘Invisible Man,’ it had to do with light refraction and the ability to create invisible soldiers. There was an accident six months into the project that made him hyper-sensitive to light. It also gave him the ability to travels within the shadows, literally.”

“So how does an accident in the lab cause him to go Intergang assassin?” Barbara and I exchange a look. We’re all too familiar with experiments gone wrong turning people into things of nightmares.

“All I can tell you,” adds Barbara. “Is that he lives in some rinky-dink apartment in downtown Gotham, here’s the address.” Barbara highlights his address on the screen. I quickly memorize it and notice Batwoman entering it into what is probably some form of GPS.

“What are you doing?”

“Entering his address into my console.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m going there.”

“No you’re not.” Batwoman is about to argue back when the computer beeps and a picture of Black Canary pops up out of the corner.

_“This is a prerecorded message. If this has reached you, it means I did not make my designated check-in. The likely reason is that I’m dead and my mission has been compromised.  
I’m sorry-”_

Barbara stops the message and looks at me with clear worry in her eyes. I nod and yank Batwoman towards the stairs. It doesn’t take long for her to catch on to what I’m doing. She loosens out of my grip and jumps down the stairs.

“Do you know where she is?” I nod and take off my jacket and shirt. In case of emergencies, Barbara hid my covert uniform (the black one with the silver S) underneath the stairs. She figured it would be the last place anyone would look or stumble upon by accident. “Are we going for the Goth look now?” I smile at Batwoman and slide off the rest of my clothes, then use super-speed to put my uniform on. Afterwards, I shove the duffle bag with my civilian clothes under the stairs.

“Just trying something more covert,” I say before jumping up and hovering around 40 feet in the air. Batwoman starts her bike and spins it around towards the entrance of the cave. We zoom out of there, intent on saving Canary.

 

**Batwoman’s POV…**

Supergirl and I crouch down to get a better look at the scene before us. We’re hidden in the top-most and darkest corner of an old warehouse. Because of how tall the building is, I need the small binoculars I hide in my utility belt. Of course, Kara doesn’t need them; her and her stupid super-vision.

“It looks like they’re preparing for a war,” I say, thinking out loud for Kara’s benefit. Unlike with Batman or Bette, I need to actually communicate with her verbally because she obviously can’t read minds… Oh, I hope not.

The entire floor of the warehouse has tables covered in different types of weaponry and gadgets, with people rushing between them. Standing over this entire operation from a balcony is Daniel Siegfried, the right-hand or EX-right-hand man of the now comatose Bruno Manheim. But that’s not who we want.

As we survey the area, the one thing I notice missing is Black Canary. She must be in a back room getting the sense and blood knocked out of her, or dead and decomposing into a bloated sack of flesh. Either way, we need to find her.

“Have you tried using your x-ray vision on the building?” I ask Kara.

“This building used to be owned by Lex Luthor when he was still financially involved with Wayne Enterprises. And ever since Superman showed up, he’s been having them lead-lined, so no.” Great. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t _hear_ her.” Kara closes her eyes and relaxes her whole body. It reminds me of Bette. She does the same thing before going into meditation with me. Suddenly, Kara’s eyes snap open and her entire body tenses up.

“What is it?” Kara ignores me and grips the beam her hand is resting on in a tight grip. The metal immediately groans and compresses under her steel-like fingers. “Kara…” I lift my right-hand and gently pull Kara’s face towards me. She keeps her eyes down at my feet and I can see why. The edges of her eyes are tinged with a red glow.

I’ve only seen that once, in a clip PGN showed of her fight with an alien named Kathos two years ago. The result was him getting his right-leg obliterated and his body punched into pulp. This was after he threatened to destroy the peopled she loved, according to Supergirl anyway (because he had said it in Kryptonian).

“Kara, look at me.” When she doesn’t move immediately, I lift her chin and make her look me in the eyes. The red in them intensifies until I can see nothing but it. But then slowly, and with every second I keep my gaze on hers, the red fades. It fades until her beautiful Caribbean-blue irises shine through. I smile and pull my hand away from her chin. “There we go, that’s my Kara.” She gives me a weak smile then pushes herself up to stand, I follow suit.

“They have her in the back. They’re…” Kara takes a heavy breath then continues. “They’re hurting her, we need…we need to get to her now.”

“Then let’s get her.” Kara steps forward and wraps her arms around my body.

“Hold on.” She picks me up and takes a moment to push my head into her shoulder. Her arm comes back around me and I feel a sudden pressure around my entire body. I bite down to keep from crying out because of it. “Batwoman, are you okay?” Kara still has me in her arms.

“I’m…f-f-fine.” Kara chuckles and I feel the vibrations from her body through my uniform.

“I’m going to put you down, okay?” I nod my head but keep my clutch tight on her arms until my feet touch the floor. I have to lean against the wall when she lets go to get my balance, but other than that, I’m fine. Wait…wall? I take a moment to assess where we are; a long, grey hallway with black doors littering both sides. “Canary is at the end of the hallway.” Without another word, Kara and I take off down the hallway and stop in front of the door. Kara holds up her hand and slowly counts down. “On go,” Kara whispers. “Five…four…three…two…one…GO!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! The following chapter will have another mention of rape. Sorry.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! There is mention of rape in this chapter.

Kara winces and grabs her side. “Stop making me laugh, it hurts too much.” Jason’s laughter dies down.

“Sorry.” She reaches out for her glass of water and he hands it to her. “It is nice hearing you laugh though. It’s nice hearing you at all.”

Kara’s smile disappears before she takes a sip of water. “Yeah, didn’t think I was going to make it out of this alive. Thank you.”

“I didn’t do it alone.”

“Still,” Kara tries to shift in the bed, “I’m the most grateful-est-est patient alive.”

Jason laughs and takes the water from her. “I’m pretty sure that’s not a word.”

Kara laughs again but the sharp contracting of her body causes pain. “I hate this. I hate being in pain.”

“Talkin’ to the choir, sister,” says Jason as he checks over the monitors still hooked up to her.

“When can I get these things unhooked from me? Not that I’m complaining. A girl wants nothing more than to be hooked up to a catheter.” Jason grimaces before sitting back on the chair next to the bed.

“That’s up to Doctor Havens. When he’s sure your body can finish the rest of the transitioning then he’ll put you on physical training, and then…I don’t know what.”

“I leave. And then I leave.” Jason fails at hiding the look of pain in his eyes. Kara reaches out for him and takes his left hand in her hands. “I’m sorry, but I’m not in the right time. I don’t know where the machine will send me. I just know it’ll be six months into the future.”

“What can I do until then?”

Kara sighs and shakes her head. “I don’t know. I don’t dictate your life, Jason. You’re going to have to figure some of this stuff out on your own.” The two sit in silence for a minute, not sure what to say next. “What time is it?”

Jason checks his watch. “It’s eight am.”

“What’s the date?”

“Check for yourself.” Kara’s brow furrows before rubbing her face and applying a bit of pressure to her temples. Jason hands her his phone and lets her try to read the date. “You can do it.” She closes her eyes and opens them again in hopes they will adjust. Eventually, the date comes through. Kara’s brow creases into a deeply focused worry. “Kara, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Kara looks Jason in the eyes. “I need you to do something for me, Jay.”

“Anything.” She takes his hand in her right and squeezes gently.

“I need you to go back to Gotham.” Jason tries to pull away but Kara’s grip doesn’t let up. “ _Please_ , Jason. I need you to do this.”

Jason lets out a heavy sigh when he concedes to the plea in Kara’s eyes. “Fine, what is it?”

“I need you to break Starling out of jail.”

**Batwoman’s POV…**

Twice in the same hospital in one day, for three different people; that has to be a record. At least this time I get to stay in uniform. After Supergirl and I arrived at the hospital with Canary in Kara’s arms, I opted to stay and wait on news of Canary from the doctors. Kara disappeared as soon as Canary went into surgery. That was four hours ago.

“Batwoman?” I take my eyes away from the window and watch as Dr. Robins closes the door of his office behind him. “Black Canary is still in surgery but they’ve gotten everything calmed down and are doing their best to put her in a stable enough state for the ICU.” How bad is she that she needs to be stable for the _ICU_?

“What about the request made by Supergirl?” Dr. Robins pauses for moment before going on.

“We did as requested. Everything was done to its entirety and sent to Detective Bullock as instructed.”

“Are you sure?”

“I looked over everything myself.”

“But are you sure _everything_ was done?”

Dr. Robins takes a breath before speaking. “This is not my first time doing a rape-kit, Batwoman.” I inwardly cringe as soon as he says the word, but I continue with the conversation.

“Thank you Doctor Robins, for all that you’ve done.” He gives me a curt nod and exits his office. My eyes fall on the digital clock behind his desk. It is 15 minutes until 9 AM. Dr. Robins’ day is almost halfway over, while mine has just begun.

 

**Linda’s POV…**

Last night was one of the worst nights of my life. After Batwoman and I broke into that room, we found Black Canary… I can’t, I can’t even say it. I feel my anger well up inside my chest again and grip the pillow in my arms a little tighter. The seams of it begin to rip but I don’t care. It’s not right. It’s not right that such evil happens to people. I yell out and rip the pillow in half before throwing it against the wall. Fluff flies out of the torn fabric. It just covers the floor like the pillow before it and my civvies.

As soon as Batwoman and I left the warehouse with Black Canary, Sawyer and her men arrived. I had overheard a PGN broadcast regaling the public with how smooth the operation went for the GCPD. When we got to the hospital, I told Batwoman to stay and then left. It wasn’t fair what I did. She doesn’t know Canary and has no personal reason to stay, but she did. She stayed and I left.

Once I was in the open air, I shot into the sky; almost flipped a few cars with the force I used. Years ago when I was angry, I would go into space and scream at the top of my lungs. The only way I knew anything was happening was the fact I began to lose air. The inability for sound to travel allowed me to completely let go without causing any damage. The last time I did it was almost a year ago when I had been accused of murder. I was staying at Bruce’s mansion and needed a moment to let loose.

I lift my hands behind my head and grip the top of my bed frame. It creaks under the force of my hands. The creaking turns to cracking until I’ve broken two chunks off my bed. I stare at them for a moment before throwing the smaller piece at a vase filled with fake flowers. I super speed off my bed and I’m about to throw the bigger piece through my bedroom door when it flies open.

“Kate?” She looks me over as I stand in shock. I must look like a mess.

When she locks eyes with me, she says one thing. “You know…”

I feel my anger rise again, but exhaustion and sorrow overtake it and I fall to the floor in a pathetic lump and start crying. Kate rushes to my side and takes me up in her arms. She’s holding me tightly and pets my hair while rocking me back and forth until I fall asleep.

**X**

The ringing of my cellphone jars me out of the REM cycle. I clumsily slide out of bed and search for it. I find it in Kate’s purse; probably got it from the hospital after I went missing.

“Hello?”

 _“Hey Linda, it’s Bruce.”_ I rub the sleep out of my eyes and blink a few times. _“Did I wake you?”_

“No, you didn’t wake me.” Sometime after I fell asleep, Kate must have moved us to my bed. She had taken her jacket, socks, and shoes off.

 _“Really,”_ he says with a hint of incredulity.

“Okay, maybe you did.”

 _“Thought so…”_ There’s an awkward pause between us before he continues. _“How are you?”_

“I’m fine, I had a fit and tore up my room but other than that, I’m good.”

 _“Are you sure?”_ I give him a noncommittal ‘mhm’ before he gives me the details of what happened last night with the GCPD. That doesn’t take long. _“There’s another reason I’m calling. According to Barbara, you said you could help with the capture of you-know-who.”_

“I never said that.”

 _“She said you did. And we need you tonight. It’s very important that we get as many heavy hitters as we can tonight. I…”_ I can hear the sound of someone speaking to Bruce before he continues his train of thought. _“Hold on a second. I’m sending a message to you. Check your phone.”_ Moments later I hear the special phone Bruce gave me buzz. I pull out the hollow book it’s hiding in and open the encrypted message. I use the key Bruce gave me to see what this message is about. It’s a synopsis of a mission taking place tonight that will be used to take down Night Shadow and protect the witness once and for all. There’s also a list of people who will be helping with the mission. There’s one person missing from the list that surprises me.

“What about Kate?”

_“What about her?”_

“Shouldn’t she join us?”

_“She’s not necessary.”_

“Oh, I beg to differ.” It’s clear that Bruce still has issues he needs to iron out with him and Batwoman professionally.

A sigh comes from him followed by a weighty silence from before he replies. _“Fine, I’ll adjust the plan to include her.”_

“Good. And thank you.”

_“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tonight, Linda.”_

“Bye, see you then.” There’s a pause on the other side of the line, as if Bruce is going to say something else, but he doesn’t and hangs up. I let out a sigh and run my hand through my, thankfully, brunette hair. Out of the corner of my eye, the clock says 3:37 pm. I’ve been asleep for over 5 hours. Wow.

With a sigh, I plop down on the couch and put a pillow over my face. I just want the world to disappear today. Is that too much to ask? I let out a growl and turn to bury my face in the couch. The pull of sleep comes quickly. I’m somewhere in the fuzziness faze, the one right before you fall asleep, when I feel a breeze on my back.

“I like the décor.” I snap awake and slowly shift until I can see who spoke. I really hope it’s not who I think it is. Floating above me is…me. To be more specific, it’s Little Supergirl from the planet of Little People. To be even more specific, she’s from an alternate universe where all the adults look like children between the ages of 5 and 8 years old. It’s a little unnerving in my opinion.

“Kara?”

“Hi, me,” she says with a bright smile. “Watcha doin’?”

I groan and put the pillow back over my face. “Wallowing.”

There’s a brief moment of silence and a part of me believes she’s gone… “Why?” …but I know better.

“I’m a failure.”

“I see.” I feel a pressure on my abdomen and know she’s sitting cross-legged and staring at me. “Kara…” She pokes my diaphragm. “Kara…” She pokes my clavicle. “Kara, if you don’t take that pillow off your face I’m going to poke you in the voice box.”

I groan again but listen this time, mainly because I know she’ll do it. She never says anything she doesn’t mean. “What?” My voice cracks without my permission.

Little Kara gives me a sad smile then reaches forward to wipe the tears off my face. I stare at her as she does this. “Poor, Big Kara, all broken up on the inside and out.” She hops off me and walks around to lean up and kiss me on the forehead. “You and I need to talk.”

“About what?” I ask when she steps back from me and starts to float again.

“Our death.”

**X**

Little Kara and I walk down the street hand-in-hand. She thankfully brought a change of clothes to keep from attracting attention. Though to be honest, her wardrobe of sneakers, jeans, a hoodie, and jacket make her look like a little adult, which I guess makes sense.

Anyway, before we left my apartment I checked on Kate. She was still asleep. I didn’t want to wake her so I got dressed quietly then folded her socks and jacket and put them by the bed. I wrote a note for her and put it on the kitchen counter before leaving the apartment.

“You know, you never did tell me how you got here?” I ask Little Kara.

“Mxy owed me a favor.”

“Mxyptlk is here?”

Little Kara shakes her head, her ponytail swooshing with the motion. “It was a drop and go. He’s better off staying in _his_ dimension than coming here.”

“Why’s that?”

She looks up at me and shrugs. “Dunno. Not specifically anyway. I just had a feeling he should stay home for this.” Little Kara’s always been extra-sensitive to the energies surrounding the multiverse. I don’t know why and neither does she.

We walk in silence for a while until I find myself in front of an antique store. I can see a shelf filled with old books through the front window. “Is there a Kate Kane in your world?” I ask while staring at my reflection. I look like a hot mess with 99% of that being mess.

Little Kara lets go of my hand and presses her face against the glass of the store-front window. “Nope.”

“Really?” I ask in disbelief.

She looks at me through the reflection of the window. “Well, yes and no. We have a Katherine Kane but no Batwoman. At least, I think we have a Katherine Kane.”

“Why’s that?”

She shrugs and faces me again. “Dunno. Maybe the reason Kate had for becoming Batwoman doesn’t exist in our world.”

“You really believe that?”

The wind blows her bangs in her face as she answers. “Dunno. I’m just speculatin’.” She slides her little hands in her pockets and continues down the sidewalk. I can’t help but shake my head as I follow her.

“Kara, why are you _really here_?”

She reaches up and I take her hands in mine. Her little fingers wrap around my longer ones. My height forces me to kneel down to better face her. Her thumbs rub across my knuckles as she speaks. “I’m here ‘cause you needed me.” I guess I look confused because she clarifies. “You’re sad and distracted. The world’s been floodin’ in and drowning your soul. You needed someone to come and pull you up.”

“But why you? And how did you know?” I can feel people staring at us but I ignore them.

She gives me a shrug and kisses me on the nose. “Because I’m me, silly. How could I _not_ know?”

I roll my eyes and sigh through my nose. That’s not an answer. Her smile widens almost comically before her hands leave mine and she motions for us to continue moving. We do this for a while. When we reach a rather empty sidewalk that’s a good distance from my apartment, Little Kara stops.

“Hey,” I look at her. “What happens next, you don’t have to be afraid. You’ll get through it.”

I run my hand through my hair. “I only know I get through the first few months, six months at the most. What if I don’t make it beyond that? I’m not ready.”

“Not ready to what?”

“Not ready to-” I stop and look around before leaning down and whispering, “not ready to die.”

Little Kara’s gives me a sympathetic look then pats me on the leg. “Most people who aren’t ready to die either fear what they’ll leave behind, what they didn’t do, or what might come after death. Some fear all three. The real question to ask is, are you afraid to _die_ or what comes _after_?”

I think about her question for a moment. “Can’t I be afraid of both?”

She nods. “Yeah. But you don’t have to be. Not sure how you can work out facin’ the whole dying experience. That’s something that mainly involves you. However, the ‘what comes _after_ part’…that fear can be subtracted completely.”

“How?”

“Knowing what comes after. Investigating the truth.”

I frown. “Are you saying I should subscribe to a religion?”

She makes a face. “You make it sound like a magazine. At the depth of it, religion is much deeper than that. _Much_ deeper.”

“Yeah, but here’s the problem. Every religion in the world says different things about the afterlife.”

Little Kara puts her hands in her pockets and rocks up on the balls of her feet as she smiles. “Good. Based upon the Law of Non-contradiction, at least I think it’s that law…” Her lip pushes out as she thinks. “Anyway, if I’m thinking of the right law, it says only _one_ religion can be right.”

“Or they _all_ can be wrong.”

“Touché. But you and I know in the quiet of the day, when the world isn’t flooding you with nonsense, there’s more to it than you think.” Little Kara looks around; there’s no one near us. “But don’t look for what you like. Look for the truth. Look for real love. Only truth and real love will outlast all the pain and destruction the world throws at us.” She slips between two buildings with no more than two feet between them. “Be glad, Kara. Most people don’t know when they’re gonna die. They take for granted the time they have and miss out on the opportunity to discover the truth.”

“Um, where are you going?” I say with a slight raise of my hand and eyebrows. She gives me a wink then spins at super-speed; her civvies disappear and she’s back in uniform.

“Do you really think you’re the only Supergirl I’m visiting?” She lets out a snort. “You’re not the only one who needs reminding.”

“Reminding of what?”

“Your purpose, stupid.” Little Kara turns a ring on her thumb I hadn’t noticed, before she disappears with a pop.

 _My purpose…_ “What the heck is that supposed to mean?” I jump when I feel my phone buzz in my jacket. I take it out and look at the caller ID. “Jimmy?”

_“Hey, girl. What’s up?”_

“I don’t know. You called me.”

 _“Right, right.”_ There’s an awkward pause on the other line.

“Jimmy, what’s going on? You’re never quiet unless it’s something big.”

_“Um…right…turn around.”_

I frown and slowly turn to see Jimmy in the far distance waving his hand. “Jimmy? What are you doing here? I thought you went back to Metropolis with Lucy.”

I can see him smile as he talks. _“I wanted to surprise you. Perry wanted me to stay a tad longer to cover the last of the Intergang trial._ Is that okay?” He says the last part without the phone due to him being close enough. The smile on my face is accompanied by tears as I nod vehemently. “Kara?” He says with clear worry as the tears start running down my face. “What’s wrong?”

The lump in my throat warns me that if I speak it will come out like a garbled mess, so I just step forward and bury myself in Jimmy’s arms. He wraps them tightly around me and sets his cheek on my head. “Must’ve been one heck of a day, huh?” The tears fall harder but I can’t help smiling as he asks this.

“Yeah,” I manage to croak out.

Jimmy pulls back from me, but only enough to look me in the face. He reaches up to wipe the tears from my eyes with his left hand before pushing my hair from my face. “Let’s go get you some bubble tea and we can talk about it.”

**X**

The Flash stares at the readings from the EEG and EKG machines. So far, Kara In-Ze’s vitals are steady like usual. Unfortunately, the readings from the EEG machine show her brain activity hasn’t changed much since she last woke. If you can call opening your eyes for less than 5 seconds, awake.

“Do you think she’ll ever wake?”

Martian Manhunter looks at the read outs over Flash’s shoulder. “Perhaps. Supergirl has faith that she will. You should too.”

“I do. I also like to be realistic.” Manhunter says nothing then walks away. “Thanks for the talk, J’onn.” Flash checks over the machines one last time before going to physically check on Kara. Everything looks fine but her fingers seem to be pruning slightly, so he starts to adjust her hydration mechanism.

 _“Flash.”_ He flinches at the voice of Batman buzzing in his ear.

“What?”

_“Drop the attitude. I need you in Gotham.”_

“I’m busy. If you’ve forgotten, I’m in DC doing what you told me to do.”

 _“Change of plans. I need you tonight. No later than eight-thirty.”_ Flash looks at Kara In-Ze.

“Go,” says Manhunter as he comes around the stasis chamber. “She will be safe in my care.”

Flash nods. “Okay, Bats. What have you got for me?”

**X**

When Jimmy and I reach a newly erected YogurtCity, he buys me a peach bubble tea and a green tea for himself. We sit in silence and stare out the large window near the back of the place. After he and I got to know each other better, we both discovered we abhorred small talk. So if we sat in silence, we sat in silence.

I’m watching a squirrel run down the alley that’s just outside the window when Jimmy speaks. “I know.”

I pause from my sip and stare at him over my glasses. There’s a dopey smile on his face as he takes a sip of his drink. “You know what?”

He leans forward slightly and raises his eyebrows as high as he can. “I _know_.”

The straw drops from my mouth, which causes bubble tea to splash. I flinch back to keep my glasses from getting stuff on it. “How?” I finally say when my brain starts working again.

He rolls his eyes. “Only a deliberately blind person can’t see through your disguise, not if they know you _and_ Supergirl really well.”

“But what about,” I stop and look around the establishment before leaning forward and whispering, “my cousin.”

Jimmy shrugs. “I knew Clark really well but Superman and I weren’t as close as the media made us out to be. Besides,” he leans forward to match my body language, “if you’ve studied that face of yours as much as I have then it’s not that hard to see the similarities.”

I blush and lean back from Jimmy. “Good to know.”

We sit in silence for a bit and stare out the window before Jimmy speaks again. “I’m still in-love with you.” This confession takes me by surprise. “You don’t have to say anything and I’m not asking you to do anything either. I just want you to know that I love you. And I think I always will in some way or another.”

“I thought you and Lucy were getting closer.”

“We are, but Lucy and I agreed a long time ago that being friends made more sense for us than anything else. I love, Lucy, but only as a friend.” He takes a sip of his tea.

I smile and take a bite of my sandwich. “So what’s next for us?”

Jimmy shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll see after whatever’s next for you.” I let out a long breath and lean back in my chair. “What _is_ next for you?”

The wind picks up slightly and ends up blowing the remnants of a newspaper down the alley. It's an old Gotham Gazette issue. From what I can see, it’s an article about the monster Cassie and I fought. “Something big.”

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	31. Chapter 31

Jimmy and I say our goodbyes at the entrance to my apartment building. “See you soon, Danvers,” he says as he hugs me tightly.

“See you soon, Olsen.” We wave goodbye and I head into my building.

“Miss Danvers, are you feeling all right?” asks my doorman.

“Of course,” comes the natural response. “Why do you ask?”

“You look less rested than usual.”

I smile at him as I head to the elevator. “Is that your way of saying I look tired?”

He smiles back. “Of course not, ma’am.”

The building is surprisingly quiet this afternoon. Even the elevator is void of its normal chirpy music. When I reach my floor I turn down the hall with a whistle and a spin of my keys, but stop when I see someone standing at my apartment.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” croaks Oliver. He’s been crying.

“How come the doorman didn’t tell me you were here?” I ask as I open the door.

“I asked him not to.”

“Hm.” We enter the apartment and I motion for him to take a seat. “Let me go check on something and I’ll be right with you.” The letter I left Kate hasn’t moved since I left. My suspicions are right. When I enter my bedroom, Kate is still sleeping soundly in my bed. I take my shoes off and drop my stuff at the foot of my bed, also making a mental note to buy a new bedframe. Might as well wait for all the craziness to end, that way I don’t waste money on something I’ll only enjoy for a short time. “Wanna drink?” I ask once I step in the living room.

“Sure. Got anything strong?”

“Bruce once bought me a bottle of vodka. Haven’t opened it since I’ve had this apartment.”

Oliver cringes. “Maybe not _that_ strong.”

“Point taken.” Under the kitchen counter is a personal wine cubby. “There are three bottles of red wine and one white that I only take out for super special occasions. I figure though we could use a decompressor of sorts.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I grab the red that Bruce bought me for my birthday last year and two wine glasses from their spots above the counter where I usually eat my breakfast at. I uncork the bottle and pour the wine gently.

“Too good health?” I ask with a lift of the glass.

“Not much else we can wish for lately, it seems.” I set my glass down.

“I…” I take a moment to carefully choose my words. “She’s a survivor, Ollie. She’ll come through this.”

“How do you know that? How could you possible know that?” There’s an understandable level of anger in his voice.

I rub my thumb over the rim of the glass. “Because I did. Because _I_ made it through.”

“What? You…” Tears form in his eyes.

“Yeah.”

“When?”

“When Darkseid kidnapped me. Desaad, his most proficient torturer, figured he could use it to break me. And it did. I-It took me a while to heal. It’s been five years and I _still_ don’t think I’m quite healed yet. But I’m getting there. With your help and the help of others, Dinah will too.”

Oliver and I stare into each other’s eyes before I move around the counter to hug him. He needs it as much as I do. Our hug lasts a while before I finally move away and raise my glass again. “So, what should we toast to?”

Oliver does the same and thinks for a moment. “To healing.”

I smile. “To healing.”

We clink glasses and take sips of our wine. “Dang, that’s good.”

“Bruce bought it.”

“Makes sense then.” I push Oliver in the shoulder and take another sip. “Are you going tonight?” he asks after a moment of purely enjoying the richness of the wine. He’s talking about the mission with Batman.

“Yeah, you?” Oliver nods. “Good, I think you need to get out of your head for a little while.”

“I’m surprised Bruce even wanted me there. I thought he would cut me out for sure.”

“He knows if he cuts you out you’ll go off and investigate on your own. Inviting you is his way of keeping an eye on you.” Oliver chuckles and sets his glass on the counter.

“Good to know.” Oliver gazes at his watch and frowns “Look Linda, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later tonight, okay?” He finishes off his wine and puts the glass down. I know he’ll take a taxi, which he probably did anyway, so I don’t have to worry about him driving buzzed.

“Okay.” I give Oliver a kiss on the cheek. “Be safe Oliver, and try not to do anything stupid _until_ the meeting.”

“I’ll try, mother,” he says as he sets a hand on my shoulder. He’s holding back tears again.

I close the door behind him with a sigh then turn and let my back hit the door. My body slides down it until I’m sitting with my arms on my knees and my face buried in them. I just want a moment to myself before I have to face the world.

“Linda?” I jump and wipe away some tears before looking in Katherine’s direction. I forgot she was even here.

“Kate…” I quickly push off the door to stand and walk into the kitchen. “I didn’t hear you coming down the hallway, how long have you been there?” A part of me hopes she didn’t hear as much as she did last time she eavesdropped on me.

“Just long enough to know you and Oliver Queen are going somewhere tonight. And that Bruce Wayne is going to be there.” I relax slightly at her statement.

“Good…good…” I breathe out without caring if Kate can hear me. She sits down at the counter and waits for me to do something, probably turn around. “Kate,” I finally say. “I think you should leave.”

“What?” It comes out like broken rasp. I keep my eyes on the floor.

“I need to be somewhere tonight and it requires a little…well, you just can’t be here.” There’s a brief silence before Kate replies.

“Okay Linda.” Kate slides off the stool and goes to the bedroom to get her things. I make sure she’s a safe distance away before I let out the sob I’ve been holding in.

 

**X**

 

I stare at the uniform laying on my bed with mixed feelings. I’m in my underwear and bra with my arms crossed and I’m just staring at it. Kate left less than an hour ago. Once she did, I shook myself together and prepared for tonight. Barbara had sent me some information earlier today; apparently shortly after Bruce had called me about the plan. I let out a long breath through my nose and shake my head.

_“Are you going to put that on, or do I have to stare at you in your underwear?”_ I jump and spin in a circle while covering myself. “ _Over here.”_ I notice the desktop in the corner of my office is on and the green Oracle mask is spinning on the screen. Not wanting to stay in my underwear, I super speed into a knee-length green robe and stare at the computer.

“Please tell me you’re alone.” Barbara laughs then clears the screen so that I can see her and Dick without his Nightwing mask, the Huntress, and The Flash; each of them has a big smile on their faces. “I hate you all. What do you want?”

_“I was hoping to update you on the plan for tonight but instead I get a peep show.”_

_“Not that anyone’s complaining,”_ interjected Dick.

“I repeat. I hate you all.” I minimize the video screen and bring up the files. “I’ve read over the information you sent. It’s pretty spot on. There are a few adjustments I had to make when I compared it to the data from STAR labs. I’ll debrief you on it when I show tonight.”

_“About that, could you come early? Eight-o-clock?”_

“Yeah, I can do that. Any particular reason?” Barbara looks at the others. They take the hint and walk away. When they’re far enough, Barbara leans closer to the microphone.

_“It’s Bruce. He wants to talk.”_

I frown and rest my hands on the desk to lean closer to the screen. “About what?”

_“He wouldn’t say.”_

I think for a moment to what he could possible want to talk about. There are a few subjects in mind, but none I would think he’d want to speak about before a sting operation. “I guess I’ll find out when I get there.”

_“I guess so.”_ A knock on my door diverts my attention from Barbara. I ignore it and continue scanning through the files I edited. _“Are you going to get that?”_

“Nah. I’ll let it slide. It’s probably not that important.”

_“Are you sure? Not many people pay you a home visit, let alone know where you live.”_

“True, but this deserves my attention more. Besides, the knocking’s stopped. Now-” I huff when the knocking continues. I guess I spoke too soon. “Hold on, Babs. Let me see who that is.”

I super speed into a black t-shirt and jean shorts before heading to the front door. When I look through the peephole, I have to lean back, blink, and look through it again. “What the what?” I open the door. “Jason? What are you doing here? Why aren’t you with…?” I pause for a moment to tip-toe to the corner of the apartment hallway, glad to see I did close my bedroom door. “Why aren’t you with the future me?”

“She sent me to Gotham.” Jason slipped into the apartment and closed the door behind him. “Said I needed to get Starling out of jail.”

With my focus on the mission tonight, I’ve blocked out the events of the past 24 hours. “Did you?”

“Yeah. She was actually at the hospital. Apparently Batwoman did a number on her. You know why?” I play dumb and shake my head. “Whatever. She’s out and resting comfortably in one of my safe houses. Ya know,” Jason smiles and chuckles slightly, “when she asked me why I was helping her, I told her it was Supergirl’s idea. That sure surprised her, but I think in a good way. She was asleep when I left her.”

“Well, that’s good. But why are you here?”

Jason slipped his hand in his pockets, which pushed his jeans down slightly. I lift my eyes away from his partially exposed stomach to see he’s looking at my face with a sad look. In the past, whenever I tried to not let Jason’s physique distract me, there would be this smirk on his face; that or he’d be checking out my legs. “It’s weird, you know, spending so much time with the future version of you while _this_ version is doing something else.”

“I’m sure it is. How is she…me?”

“Well.” Jason takes a step closer to me. “ _Really_ well, actually. She gets stronger every day. Though the last time I saw her, it’d hurt her to laugh.”

I smile. “You’re making her laugh?”

“It goes both ways.” I flinch a little when I feel Jason’s hand on my right arm. We lock eyes briefly before he leans closer to me. He’s only an inch away from my face when…

“Jay, why are you here?”

Jason pulls away and takes a step back. “I figured while I was here in Gotham, I check up on you. See if you’re doing all right. Future you, she’s been avoiding questions that have anything to do before your death.”

“Well, as you can see,” I spin around with my hands out like a debutant, “I’m doing dandy.”

Jason raises an eyebrow. “Dandy?”

“I got it from a friend.” He gives me a sad smile. “Um,” I look towards the hallway leading to my bedroom, “I have some work to do, Jay. I, uh-”

“This could be the last time we see each other.”

I furrow my brow. “Aren’t about to see the future me?”

“You know what I mean.” The tone in Jason’s voice forces me to look at him, and I mean _really_ look at him. There’s no smile this time, no mischievous glint in his eyes. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was filled with sadness. Our eyes break momentarily when he reaches out and takes my hands in his gingerly. When they meet again, I can see he’s looking for something. And then I realize what…permission. For the first time ever, he’s asking for permission. “Kara-” I don’t give him a chance to finish.

The kiss is bruising, or at least it would be for Jason. My right hand reaches up grips the nape of his neck, the other stays in Jason’s hands, which have yet to move. I try to deepen the kiss by opening my mouth slightly but it doesn’t work; he doesn’t react. A surge of fear fills my chest and I pull away from him. “I’m,” my lips curls in and I wipe at my mouth. “I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to-” This time, _I_ don’t get to finish.

Jason’s lips hit mine softly. His hands move from in front of him and rest on my waist. I reach up and wrap my arms around his shoulders and let him pull me closer. It forces me to go on my tippy-toes. He smiles when I do this and I can’t help but smile back, which makes us clink teeth for a moment but neither of us seem to care.

Suddenly a stupid thought pops in my head; we probably look ridiculous. Unlike in the movies or television shows, our kiss isn’t perfectly timed. There’s a give and take going to where we randomly switch who leads the kissing. The thought makes me giggle a little.

“Are you…” Jason pulls back, “why are you laughing?”

“Nothing, never mind.” He gives me this look where the right side of his face scrunches up. It makes me giggle again. “You’re doing that face.” Usually he would take offence to this, but this time he just shakes his head and leans in again.

The kissing keeps at the same pace as before but then something shifts. Jason’s grip loosens on me and I can feel his face scrunch in a not-so-cute way. The kissing slows to a stop and he pulls away by just a hair.

“Please be safe tonight,” he whispers against my mouth before letting go of me and leaving the apartment. I stare at the door with wide eyes and a slightly dropped jaw. I’m pretty sure I don’t blink either. The realization that Barbara is still waiting for me makes my body shake with a start and I head back to my bedroom.

_“Everything okay?”_

“Yeah, it was Missus Meriwether. Her husband is sick. She just wanted to talk.”

Barbara raises an eyebrow but doesn’t ask any questions. We talk for an hour or so until it’s time for me to get dressed and arrive at the Bat Cave.

 

**X**

 

I arrive at the Bat Cave promptly at 8 pm, knowing that Batman would go on a growl-fest if I didn’t. Except for Oracle and Huntress, no one else is there. “Where are Dick and The Flash?”

“Upstairs,” answers Huntress. “Apparently it’s tradition to eat an entire batch of Alfred’s sugar cookies before a mission.”

I laugh. “It really isn’t, but okay.” Huntress gives me a strong hug and I return it. “How’s Karen,” I ask while releasing Helena but not pulling completely from her.

“Fine. Complaining, but fine. Mr. Terrific is taking care of her.” The look in Helena’s eyes makes me tilt my head and raise an eyebrow.

“And you don’t approve.”

She lets out a snort. “If you had to witness their on-and-off-again relationship, you wouldn’t either.” I smile again and step out of Helena’s grasp to move towards Barbara.

“Hey,” she says after I kiss her on the top of the head. “You’re awfully affectionate tonight.”

With a shrug I lean against the console. “It’s been a sucky day but it had its good moments. Jimmy stopped by.”

“Really,” Barbara says as she wheels back from the computer. “Do tell.”

“He knows I’m Supergirl.”

“You told him?” asks Huntress.

I shake my head. “Nope. He figured it out on his own and apparently he’s known for a while. And on top of that, he said he’s in love with me.” The reaction between Helena and Barbara contrast each other greatly. While Helena had a bright smile on her face, Barbara was frowning; not exactly what I expected in terms of reactions.

“What did you say back?” inquires Barbara.

“Nothing. He wouldn’t let me. Said he just wanted me to know and to not worry about it for now.”

Huntress pats me on the arm and gives me a sad smile. “Well, at least you know you’ve got someone out there that’s into you.” Movement in the corner of my eye causes me to look past her and see Batman coming towards us with Batgirl and Robin in tow.

“I suppose. So,” I call out to him, “what did you want to talk about.”

He crosses his arms and looks around at those with us. “The team will be here soon, but there are some issues with it.”

“Like what?”

“Batwoman.”

“What about her?” He looks at the others again only using his eyes.

Huntress motions to Robin. “Come on, kid. Let’s go spar.”

“We’re not supposed to spar right before a mission.”

“What, you chicken?” Normally that kind of sad dare wouldn’t work on Damien, but he’s hit an age where he’s always trying to prove himself more than usual so he reacts and follows Huntress.

“Now that it’s just the four of us,” says Barbara, “let’s talk.”

 

**X**

The rest of the team arrives at 8:30. It’s Batwoman who arrives last with her motorcycle’s roar echoing through the cave at 8:50. Shortly after, her footsteps can be heard as she walks across the platform and up the stairs.

“Good, Batwoman is here. We can begin,” says Barbara using her ‘Oracle’ voice. I watch as Batwoman scans the room and takes in the inventory of heroes. Starting all the way from her left is Nightwing, Red Robin, Green Arrow, Katana, The Question, Huntress, Batgirl, Robin, and me. Barbara is manning her usual role as Oracle in front of the computer and Bruce is standing next to her.

I can see Batman glaring at her as Oracle starts her official briefing. “You are all aware the Intergang trials started last Wednesday. In two days the key witness will be brought to the stand to testify.” Barbara brings up newspaper articles to visually support what Batman is saying. “Through several undercover operations, we have verified that Intergang has located the witness and are planning an attack tonight. Right now, The Flash and Superboy are on a covert mission and are securing the area where the witnessed is located.” Barbara brings up a picture of them in their covert gear. “We also have another checking out the perimeter.” Batman gives a me a nod to let me know it’s my turn to speak.

I step forward and begin my monologue. “As some of you know, Poison Ivy has turned over a new leaf,” I can’t help but smile at my pun, “and has been working with the Birds of Prey for several years now. For those of you who didn’t know, she is using her plants to secure a large perimeter. If anyone crosses it, her vines will send a message to her, and in turn she will send it to Batman and me. So if a creeper taps you on the shoulder, don’t freak out. It’s just Ivy.”

Other than Damian, everyone smiles or chuckles at my rather sad attempt at humor. Even Batman cracks a small smile. “Something you should keep in mind is our assassin Night Shadow. It is said he will be taking the hit himself, so each of you will be given a special device that can stun our dear Doctor Barns.”

“How does it work?” asks Green Arrow.

“Simple,” Barbara brings up a simulation of using the device while I explain, “there are two buttons and one switch. The main switch powers up the device and keeps it charged for twenty-four hours max. The two buttons are used to stun. The smaller one in the middle is a simple Taser that can be used on anyone. The larger button on the left of the switch is for Night Shadow.”

“Why do I feel there is a ‘however’ in there?” says Batgirl while crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at me. I don’t take it personal.

“However, due to the amount of power needed for the device to work, one use drains the battery. Not even the Taser will work after that. The second however, is the light will only be affective if you are within twelve feet of Night Shadow, anything more than that will simply tick him off or cause temporary blindness that lasts no more than three seconds, give or take.” What I’m saying, of course, is all theoretical.

“A lot can happen in three seconds,” remarks Damian, “but since this Night Shadow can travel _within_ the shadows, how will we get him in the first place?” Batman hands the device to me and I hand it to Damian.

“My intel from the reporter Linda Lee-Danvers states that Barns can’t disappear completely. He sticks out some, and because of this we should be able to spot him moving. And if a human reporter can track him for a good fifteen minutes, then a group of highly trained humans and people with superpowers should be able to catch him, right?” I wink at Damian who smiles slightly and presses the Taser button. The crackles from the charge make him smile from ear to ear.

Boys and their toys.

I step back to let Batman wrap up the debriefing when Barbara taps me on the arm and motions for her to lean in. I tune Batman out. “Yeah?”

“Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Jason?”

“How-How did you know it was him? The door was closed.”

“A source of mine told me he was in town. It doesn’t take a genius to know who he visited while here. And like you, Jason has a _very_ distinctive voice.”

I shift so that if anyone is able to read my lips, they wouldn’t be able to. “Fine. It went fine.”

“What did he want to talk about?”

I try to think about the conversation we had and shake my head slightly. “I don’t entirely know,” I say with a scrunched face. “It was all rather cryptic. He kept saying something about being there for me in the future. But there was something else to it… I don’t know.”

Barbara goes quiet as she thinks over what I said. There’s a part of me that is well aware of what Jason meant when he talked about the future; he is helping to take care of the future version of me after all. But there was something else underlying what he was saying. Jason and I kissed a lot when we were make-out buddies, but this recent one was new. Whatever he was trying to relay to me through subtext, it was in that kiss too. I’m just not sure what it is yet.

“You need to tell him about Jonathan.” The comment is like a cold slap to the face.

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m serious.” Barbara looks up at me. “He needs to know, just like Bruce does.”

I rub my eyes, not believing that Babs and I are on this topic of my possible future son and who his father could be again. “How does Jonathan have _anything_ to do with this?”

“For goodness sake, he looks like him.”

I grit my teeth and try not to react violently. “You could also say he looks like Bruce, or Damien, or even Clark. The amount of black-haired men in our lives isn’t exactly small.”

“His eyes Kara.”

“His eyes were like mine, I think. Look,” I readjust how I’m standing, “now is not the time to speak about this.”

“But Kara.”

“I’m serious Babs, no.”

“You need to-”

“I said no.”

“ _Kara_ -”

“No, again, for the last time Barbara, no!” A quiet hushes over the room. Apparently that last sentence came out louder than intended. I stand up straight and cross my arms, hoping Batman will go on with business as I ask, “Batman, are we done here?”

Batman lets out a low growl that clearly shows his annoyance with me at the moment.

“Yes, we’re done here,” he finally says. As soon as the words leave his lips, everyone disperses with their assigned partner. Unfortunately, Batman takes me by the arm and leads me to edge of the platform and away from everyone else. Robin looks a little peeved at the fact he and Batman won’t be the first to leave the cave. “Are you ready for tonight?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Your anger won’t get in the way?”

“ _No_. My anger was at the men who hurt Canary. Not Night Shadow.”

“I meant that anger you have pointing at yourself.” Oh.

I place my hand against the one still gripping my arm. “I’ll be fine. Promise.”

He looks deeply in the eyes before saying, “And what about your weakened state?” It had been a while since he last mentioned my continual physical weakening. It was only a matter of time before the topic came up again.

“I’m fine. Really.” He finally accepts the answer and motions for Robin to follow him. I watch the imp and his father leave the platform.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

I walk over to Oracle and rest my hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be fine, Babs. Don’t worry about me. Worry about the mission. And sorry about snapping at you.”

Barbara rests her hand on mine. “You’re forgiven. Just be safe. Okay?”

I smile and squeeze her shoulder gently. “Okay.”

 

**X**

 

All of us arrive at the rendezvous point and slide into our duties of keeping watch and looking out for anything suspicious. I take to the skies to meet up with Superboy. Most of the watch is spent telling Oracle that all is clear. Eventually, a spaced out conversation picks up amongst the group. Batwoman is the only one to not get involved and Superboy comments on it.

“That Batwoman isn’t a talker, is she?”

“Casual convo isn’t really her style during sting operations.”

“I’ve noticed.” Kon-El drops down another ten feet below me to get a closer look at the cabin and its surrounding area. There are over 30 police officers and FBI agents surrounding the cabin, with five highly-trained special-forces officers inside. I did my research.

I x-rayed the building as soon as I got here. The witness was sitting in the kitchen and chatting with an FBI agent that had come in to check up on them. Now the witness is fast-asleep; getting rest for their day in court. Superboy will be there undercover as protection, but I’ll be there as Linda Lee-Danvers on the behalf for the Daily Planet, like I have been for the past week.

Before showing up for the sting, I got a call from Bullock. The GCPD S.W.A.T team took down the operation I discovered with Kate almost yesterday. I can’t believe it’s been less than 24 hrs since then. It’s felt like a week since I brought Dinah to the hospital. And it’s felt like a month since Kate and I were hanging out in my apartment, getting ready to eat our toasted cheese-sandwiches and talk about what happened in that alcove.

That is what it all comes down to. Time. And I’m running out of it. That call from Diana telling me she expects me soon threw me off. I only have a few more days in Gotham before I have to meet her in London. I need to set things straight with Kate before then.

Another couple hours of not readings pass before something of significance happens:

_3:45 am_ __  
**Poison Ivy:** SOMETHING PASSED THE PERIMETER, NOT ANIMAL  
**Supergirl:** I DON'T SEE ANYTHING  
**Superboy:** I DO, GREEN ARROW YOU’RE UP  
**Huntress:** I SEE HIM  
**Green Arrow:** GOT HIM  
**Red Robin:** NIGHT SHADOW?  
**Huntress:** NO, INTERGANG THUG  
**Batgirl:** I’VE GOT TWO MORE IN MY SIGHT  
**Nightwing:** ONE IN MINE  
**Flash:** SAME  
**Katana:** CLEAR IN OUR AREA  
**Batwoman:** NEED ASSISTANCE?  
**Robin:** WE’VE GOT NIGHT SHADOW  
**Batman:** ON GO  
**Oracle:** GO!

**X**

 

The operation went down relatively smoothly. All of us took out our respective Intergang thugs, but the real catch was when Robin took down Night Shadow, I was rather impressed. Then again, he was raised by Talia al Ghul so maybe his actions should have been expected. Batman says they’re planning on taking Shadow to the new Star Labs compound on the outskirts of Gotham. There, he can be dealt with accordingly.

With everyone leaving to go spar or play mini-golf, the only thing left to do was check on the witness. I volunteered to do that. Before I left though, Batwoman asked to join me. I said that was okay and I would meet her after I get changed. Since only a few people know about my incognito uniform, I figured it would be best for me to be in my normal colorful one before checking on the witness.

“I’m surprised with how fast you change,” Batwoman says as we walk to the cabin the witness is at.

“Super-speed, it comes in handy.”

“Of course.” I can see Batwoman looking at me from the corner of her eye, so I wink at her. She just smiles and continues walking with me in comfortable silence.

When the officers and agents see us, they approach us and shake my hand. Just as we approach the front door, a marine steps out of the house and salutes both Batwoman and me.

“Stand down captain. I’m not your superior,” I tell him. His heart is beating really fast and perspiration has formed on his brow and underarms. The captain lowers his hand with an embarrassing smile and shakes my hand.

“It’s just good to see you, is all.” Captain Osgood lets go of my hand and shakes Batwoman’s. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Batwoman.” He looks at me and says, “She’s inside.”

I lead the way as we step in and stand in the main room, which is filled with four other marines and three FBI agents wearing bullet-proof vests. “She’s in the back,” says Osgood, closing the door behind us. I move past the men and head straight for what looks like the kitchen. Osgood and Batwoman follow behind.

“Kara? Is that you?” says a soprano voice with a French accent. Out of nowhere, the petite girl with the auburn hair I had been looking for jumps in my arms. I laugh and spin her around a few times then put her down. “Je vous ai manqué. Où avez-vous été?”

I laugh again and move a long strand of her curly hair out of her eyes. “Je protégeais votre vie.” Shemakes a face thenlaughs.

“Your French is still not very good.” I stick out my tongue.

“It would be if I had a better teacher.” I get smacked in the arm and feign being hurt. We continue on like this for a few minutes until I remember we’re not the only ones in the room. “Oh, Maddie. Ceci est mon ami Batwoman.” Maddie smiles widely at Batwoman then stands on her tip-toes and grabs her by the shoulders to pull her down and kiss her on both cheeks. And in another quick motion, she gives Batwoman a quick peck on the lips, who pulls back a little surprised. I put my hand over my face and shake my head. “Ne pas embrasser les gens sur le Maddie lèvres,” I tell Maddie. She goes wide-eyed for a second then looks at Batwomen and me before saying sorry to us.

“Je suis désolé. I keep forgetting people don’t like to be randomly kissed on the lips.” Maddie sits down at the kitchen table.

“The first time that I met Maddie was at a hotel. She wanted to meet me, so I arranged to meet her and her entourage in a large office in the hotel I was staying at. I’m waiting for her, and mind you I was in my official Kryptonian clothes, when she bursts through the doors and makes a beeline for me. And just as the doors close and I put out my hand to greet her, she takes me by the shoulders and does the same thing she did to you.”

“You should have seen the look on her face, and how her face turned red as an apple. In that moment, I did not know if she was going to slap me or faint from mortification.” I take my cape and pull it around so it’s draped over my right arm then lean against the kitchen counter while laughing.

“Looking back, I can laugh about it. But I warned her not to do it again, at least without my permission.”

“Maddie, you’re the witness I take it,” says Batwoman. Maddie nods and leans back in her chair slightly. “How did you get involved with Intergang? How do you know all of this damning evidence against so many people?” Maddie smiles and looks at me for approval. I give it to her and watch as she focuses on Batwoman. Suddenly, the masked vigilante’s mouth opens and closes slightly before I see the realization flash across her face as Maddie communicates with her.

“Madeline is the niece of the prime-minister of France,” I start to tell Batwoman to help clarify any confusion. “She’s also a meta-human and a talented one at that. When I first met her, she tried looking into my mind. Thankfully, Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian taught me a few tricks to keep unwanted visitors out.” Batwoman looks from me to Maddie.

“One of the officers in the foreign division of Intergang began courting me, after I broke it off with him another Intergang member, from your domestic side, began dating me. Through him, I was able to learn most of their secrets that involved the U.S.A and Canada. When I had enough, I took some needed proof and began helping the FBI.”

“Sooner than later,” I interject, “Intergang caught on and tried to have her killed. I stepped in, with the help of Batman, and saved her life. She was put into protective custody and the rest is history.”

“If you are telepathic,” comments Batwoman, “and if Supergirl really was trying to find you, how come she didn’t?”

“Kara flies too high and at night. I usually go to bed quite early. Besides, my telepathic abilities don’t have a very large radius. Anyway, it is half past four in the morning. I need my beauty rest for tomorrow. The Gotham D.A is moving my testimony up by a day, so I am due in court tomorrow. So, bonne nuit... oubonjour.” I laugh and give Maddie a hug and a kiss on the top of her head goodnight. Then Maddie goes over to Batwoman and kisses her on the cheek. She pulls back slightly and winks at Batwoman before heading off to her bedroom. I’ll have to ask her about that later.

“It’s getting late,” I tell Batwoman, “or should I say early. I’ve been up for nearly two days straight and even _I_ need my beauty sleep. I’ll walk you out.” Batwoman and I walk out the front entrance. The agents, officers, and marines say their goodbyes and a few escort us until we’ve reached the edge of where Poison Ivy’s perimeter was. We watch as the two officers disappear into the woods. Batwoman doesn’t say anything until we’re alone.

“So, with Night Shadow caught and your friend protected and ready to testify, what will you do?”

“Wonder Woman needs me in London. There is a large conference going on between certain members of the League and a few diplomats concerning the recent anti-meta-human rallies going on in Bialya.”

“I didn’t know that was going on?”

“And that’s how Bialya wants it.”

“When will you be leaving?”

“Tomorrow.” I don’t need my x-ray vision to know she’s surprised by this. “You know what? We should plan something.”

“Huh?” I laugh at Batwoman’s distractedness.

“I said, since I’m leaving tomorrow night we should plan something. Just the two of us.”

“Sounds great.”

“Then it’s a date.” I smile widely before floating up. “Oh, and Batwoman? No costumes.” I wink at her then takes off straight into the night sky.

%MCEPASTEBIN%

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update. I hope y'all liked it.  
> Also, have y'all SEEN the Supergirl trailer. Oh. My. Goodness.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the chapter.  
> Feedback is highly welcome.

I awake with a groan as my alarm goes off. In an attempt to turn it off, I let reach out and hit the snooze button. The crunch of plastic as my hand lands on it makes me cringe. There goes another one. I roll over from my stomach to my back and think about last night.

After the mission, I flew to Metropolis to visit Lois. I needed some sisterly bonding and time to unwind. “So,” she said as she handed me a cup of coffee. “You want to talk about what this is about?” The muscles in my body had started to ache from the past few months; Lois noticed how tired I was and frowned. “Since when do you groan from pain?”

“Since I haven’t gotten much sleep or sun.”

She gave me a look of incredulity. “Try again.” As much as I love Lois’s brashness, sometimes I don’t like Lois’s brashness. But then again, if I wanted soft words and a hand to hold, I’d go to Barbara or Jimmy.

“I’m getting weaker.”

Lois looked down at her coffee. “I know. Clark pointed it out to me a while ago.” She looked up at me. “He wants to know why. Do _you_ know why?” I nodded. “You want to tell me about it?” I shook my head. “Gotcha.”

“Can we just talk about the wedding?” Lois gave me a soft look, one that I used to think her incapable of giving.

“Sure.” We spoke most of the night about flower arrangements, food, and dresses. It wasn’t hard to pick up on the fact she avoided talking about my place in the wedding beyond what was necessary. We ended the night with hugs and me walking away with a plate of chocolate chip cookies; one of the few things Lois could cook without fear of burning it.

“I love you,” she said to me in one final hug.

“I love you too, Lois.” I pulled away from her. “Tell Lucy I called and that I miss her.”

She put a hand on my neck. “Will do.” I left her apartment building and flew back to Gotham, hoping I wouldn’t run into my well-meaning cousin along the way.

I trudge into the bathroom and take a long shower. After letting the water wash away grime and exhaustion, something metallic tasting hits my mouth and I realize my nose is bleeding. Getting out of the shower quickly, I x-ray my head to see the nanites are working on a blood clot that almost made its way into my brain. At least they’re doing their job, but it’s a sure sign the artificial heart I’m using is starting to fail. Not that we didn’t know that would happen, but still, I was hoping for more time before failure started to become evident.

My shower was done anyway, so I turn the water off and pull a tampon out of the medicine cabinet and shove it up my nose. I snip the stupid string off with my finger nails and get dressed for the day. In a couple hours, I have to get to the courthouse to watch Maddie give her testimony.

It doesn’t take long for me to get ready and leave the apartment. On the way down the elevator, I run into Mrs. Merriweather. “Hi, dearie. How are you?” She pulls out her horrendously large reading glasses and starts working on a word find puzzle.

“I’ve been better.”

“Oh,” she says without looking up. “Rough morning?”

“More like a rough few months.”

“I’m sorry to-” Her mouth curls into a frown shortly after her eyes leave the puzzle and fall on me. “Sweetie, do you know you have a tampon up your nose?”

My hand flies to my nose and I can still feel it there. I turn away from her and pull it out; thankful to see it isn’t so full. “I hit my nose this morning.” The tissue being offered to me after I turn to face Mrs. Merriweather makes my pause. I wrap the tampon in it and take another to wipe at any residue on my nose. “Thank you.”

She motions for me to hand the bloody tissues to her. I hesitate but then give in. It’s hard to say no to those big, old lady eyes. The door for the ground floor opens and I step out but notice Mrs. Merriweather doesn’t. “Don’t mind me, dearie. I wasn’t going anywhere today. But I realized I forgot the key to my mailbox. I’ll see you another time.”

She gives me a smile and I return it. “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

 

**Athena’s POV…**

Linda lets the elevator door close. I hit the button for the 10th floor. “You can come out now.”

In a flash of bright light, Aphrodite appears in all her half-naked glory. “Please tell me she did not fall for this,” she says motioning to my disguise.

“Unfortunately, she did.” I morph into my natural form and cross my arms. “It is getting worse.” I show her the bloody tissues in my hand. “She is bleeding. Most likely her body is starting to reject the technology in her.”

Aphrodite’s right hand hovers over the tissues. There are tears in her eyes. “We have to do something, _anything_.”

“What can we do? It is destined to happen. Not even Olympus can fight against this.”

She grips my arms. “Then let us _try_. Refuse to respect Kara’s request.”

“I _cannot_. You know I cannot.” Her grip tightens on my arms.

“It is not fair.” I know why she is crying. Not for Kara entirely, but for those who will mourn her death too. The pain that comes from losing a loved-one is always hard, especially when Aphrodite is personally involved. She can feel it ripping at her heart. And since she knows Kara, she cares for her and that is what is making it hurt so much too.

“It is what it is, my dear,” I say while putting the tissues in a pouch at my side. “We must accept it as such.” I take Aphrodite’s arm and we disappear with a flash light before the elevator doors open and the real Mrs. Merriweather enters.

**Linda’s POV…**          

“Well, that went better than I expected.” I smile at A.D.A. Amos’s comment. “Now we just have to pray the cross-examination goes just as well.”

“I’m sure it will.” The Assistant District Attorney, Captain Osgood, an FBI agent named Mackabee, the Federal Prosecutor Rebecca Smith, three other agents, and me are sitting in a lounge quarantined for the prosecution team. I was able to wiggle myself into the room thanks to Osgood. He figured a friend of Supergirl and a reporter known for trying to railroad Intergang would be useful. Smith didn’t want me there, but when I promised not to print anything done in the room without her permission, she conceded.

“She’s quite something, is she not?”

“Yeah,” I say while looking over at Maddie. “She most definitely is.” She’s flirting with Captain Osgood who is, thankfully, taking it in strides.

“Not her,” he points past Maddie, “Rebecca.” Smith is standing on the other side of Maddie and reviewing some notes I saw her scribbling during Amos’s questioning of Maddie; a move that surprised me since I figured she would want to question the key witness herself.

“Got a thing for the FP?”

Amos smiles and crosses his arms. “That’s none of your business, Danvers.”

I smile. “Uh-huh, we’ll see…. What’s next for the federal prosecutor?”

Amos shrugs. “She likes to keep things to herself until most of the plan is set in stone. She doesn’t trust anyone, not even me.” He reaches forward and grabs his bottle of Coca-Cola off the table. “Can’t blame her, really. Last A.D.A. she worked with was dirty.” He takes a gulp of his drink then starts choking on it when Maddie yells out a string of expletives in French.

“Maddie!” yells Osgood as he reaches for her. She slaps his hands away and presses the heel of her palms into her temple. “What’s happening!?”

“She’s being attacked. Someone’s overloading her with information.” I grab Maddie’s shoulders and pull her into me. “Come on, Maddie. Focus on me. Shut it out.” I use the mind tricks Martian Manhunter showed me to help fortify her mind and keep whatever is attacking her out.

It doesn’t take long for her to quiet down and remove her hands from her head. She grips my jacket like a small child would; she might as well be due how small she is. I continue to make shushing noises and mumble to her in French. Gently, I pick her up and walk her over to a leather couch with some comfy pillows. I lay Maddie on the couch but keep ahold of her hands as I sit on it with her.

“Is she going to be okay?” Smith, who normally has a hard and stoic expression on her face, is all colors of worry as she watches Maddie.

“She’ll be fine. But I’m afraid she might be out of commission for the rest of the day. Her cross-exam can’t happen today.”

“That won’t be an issue. I’m more afraid of what was done to her. The last thing I need is her testimony to be compromised.”

We all look at Maddie when she lets out a groan. “Yeah, I know.”

 

 

**X**

 

With Maddie out of commission for the rest of the day, the court decides to take a 24hr recess, much to everyone’s irritation. Maddie and her entourage take her to her new safe house. I contact Miss Martian and ask her to check-up on Maddie. She agrees and will be there soon. I also send a message to Impulse and Speedy. They could use the experience and I know they greatly respect MM. ****

I’m walking down a street several blocks from the courthouse when I realize if I go left on the corner up ahead, I would end up walking past Katherine’s bookstore. Since we didn’t end on great terms last time we saw each other, I make the decision to visit her. I’m 15 feet from her storefront when Maggie Sawyer steps out onto the sidewalk. The minute our eyes meet, Sawyer lets out a loud guffaw and begins to double over laughing. I pat her on the back, a little worried she’ll rip her stitches and surprised she’s up and moving so soon, and enter the store. As I close the door, I can still hear her laughing her butt off but the shop goes quiet soon after.

“May I ask why Detective Maggie Sawyer of GCPD began to laugh hysterically as soon as she saw me?” I ask while walking towards Kate and pointing back at the door with my thumb.

“It’s been a long day for her.”

“Clearly.” I stop at the counter and tap a little cadence on the table-top. “So, how are you Katherine Kane? And how’s the shop doing?”

“Fine, a little tired, but fine.”

“Understandable, especially between me getting shot and Maggie getting knocked out, me having a mental breakdown and you comforting me, and then me kicking you out of my apartment without giving you a reason, I can see how that would be exhausting.” I smile widely at Kate.

“Yeah, I guess.”

I let the smile fade into a more serious look. “Look, about me kicking you out…I’m sorry. I was in a weak spot and I didn’t like you seeing me like that. I don’t like _anyone_ seeing me like that. I needed to clear my head and get some composure and I couldn’t do that with you around. I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

“Of _course_ I’ll forgive you,” Kate says before running around the counter and giving me a big hug. It takes me by surprise but I let it happen. I hold Kate tightly in my arms until I feel like it’s time to separate. When I let go, I push my glasses up my nose and smile at Kate.

“I’ve missed that.” I tilt my head and give her a look. “The glasses, I’ve missed you doing that.” I smile and quickly make my glasses pop up and down on my face before wiggling my eyebrows at her. Kate laughs, which was the reaction I was hoping for. “How did you do that?”

“ _Precise_ muscle control.” Kate’s smile disappears, which makes me worry. “Kate, you okay?”

“Mhm,” she says with a nod.

“Okay…I was wondering if you’d like to join me for lunch.”

“That’s sweet, but um, I already have some food upstairs.”

“Alright, well I’ll see you around then.” I go to leave but decide I can’t end our conversation like that. “I almost forgot, I’m leaving in a few days to cover the Bialyan meta-human issue and I was wondering if you wanted to meet before then.”

“I thought you were going to London?”

“I _was_ , but my editor Perry White changed his mind the last second and I'm going to be escorted with a few other reporters from Qurac and into Bialya.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Completely. But I’ve handled stuff like this before and I’ve obviously come out alive, and I’ll do the same for this story.”

“I liked it better when you were going to London.” Kate is obviously a little upset that I’ll be going into such a dangerous place, so I step up to the counter and take both of her hands into mine.

“Kate, I’ll be okay. Superboy will be escorting us into Bialya and Miss Martian will be watching over us from then on. Everything is planned out. It’ll be okay?”

“What about Diana?” I find her question strange but choose to answer it anyway.

“Yeomen Prince? She’s the girlfriend of the JLA liaison Steve Trevor and my source of all things Justice League. She’s the one who encouraged Perry to send me to Bialya.”

“So what, I should thank her for putting you in danger?” I let go of Katherine’s hands completely and step away, confused at the anger emanating from her.

“Kate, where is this coming from?”

“I…I care about you. And I don’t want anything to happen to you.” I tilt my head to the left and focus on the red-head more intently. Of course, how could I miss it?

“Katherine, I care about you too. But this is what I do. People _need_ to know what is going on over there, and the Daily Planet, whether under PGN or not, is one of the few newspapers that actually tell you the truth. There are still Bialyan supporters out there who believe that country is not filled with a big chunk of terroristic hateful people. There are meta-humans and regular humans _suffering_ over there, and until people open their eyes it will never change.”

“And you think telling a few stories will work?”

“Truth always works. Look, I know many people will still deny the truth even with evidence, but it’s all I can do. And it’s what I will do. See ya around Kane.”

Well, that went well.

**X**

 

With every hour that passes, I get closer to my Supergirl-Katherine dinner date. To be honest, after this afternoon, I’m not in the mood to see Kate. But since I’m not supposed to be Supergirl, I have to compartmentalize my motions. The more I think about it though, the more I understand. To Kate, Linda Lee-Danvers is human. And humans die every day. I can’t blame her for her fears. In general, you can’t really be mad if people worry about you. When you care for someone, you worry for their safety, for their future, their relationships, anything that might affect them. I just hope her worrying isn’t bleeding into control and/or jealousy. I’ve seen that happen and it’s not cute.

Speaking of cute… “Are you going to tell me the name of that guy I saw you with?” Elisabeth nearly chokes on her root beer. I pat her on the back as she gets control of herself. “Miss Clark, did I hit a nerve?” She shoots me an evil look as her breathing evens out.

“No,” she croaks out. “Miss Danvers, you did _not_. But next time you want to ask me about my love life, or lack thereof, try not to wait when I’ve got liquid halfway down my throat.”

“Sorry. But seriously, who was that guy you were talking to?”

“He’s the owner’s son and the one who got me that job. He just wanted to check up on me.” Elisabeth’s pulse stays steady the whole time. Yes, I know I shouldn’t be going lie-detector on her, but it’s nothing as bad as reading her diary…I think.

“Okay. How _is_ work going?” She perks up at the change in subject and goes on about the projects she’s going to be involved in over the next few months. “On top of it, one of my foster sisters found me and wants to meet up. She’s moving to Gotham and wanted to know if I wanted a roommate.”

“That sounds great.”

“It is. So what’s up on your end? How’s Kate? How’s Jason?”

“Jason and I are great,” I frown, “I think. And Kate is fine. She got upset with me though.”

“About the Bialyan thing?” I nod. “Can’t blame her. Made me pretty upset too when you told me.”

“Yeah, I’m beginning to understand that. You know why I have to go, right?”

Elisabeth nods. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

I pat her hand. “I know.” My phone buzzes with a text. It’s from Bette Kane.

 

**Hey Linda. It’s Bette. Probs knew that tho. Let SG know dinner is set.**

I text back.

**Thanx. SG woulda told u herself. But ur apt is in a ‘no fly’ zone. U kno what Im sayin?**

The reply buzzes back almost immediately.

**Gotcha :}**

I smile at the text and turn to Elisabeth. “So, I’ve got a few more hours to spare. You up for a movie?” She smiles and runs to my room, probably to grab my laptop.

“I call She’s The Man.” I groan at the choice but say nothing. Considering the time I have left, I might as well let her watch her favorite movie.


	33. Chapter 33

“Thanks for all your help, Bette.”

“Hey, no problem,” she replies with a smile. Bette Kane and I are standing on top of the Gotham Cathedral getting ready for my dinner date with Katherine, which is in 1.5 hours. “I do have to ask though, why are you doing all this for her?”

I shrug and lean against the wall while I watch her work. “I’m leaving soon. I wanted to say goodbye properly. This is all I could come up with. Besides, Kate has been sort of a welcome change in my life. On top of that she’s been a bit of a friend, as Batwoman anyway.”

Bette lets out a laugh and checks over the dessert. “How did you know I knew she’s Batwoman?”

“It didn’t take long to figure out Firebird was you, especially since Batwoman took you under her wings. I doubt she would do that with anyone but family.”

“That’s some nice deducing there.” I smile at her before she disappears inside the bell tower. I can hear her fiddling around in there when a distant noise hits my ears.

“Hey Bette. Someone’s calling me. You okay here by yourself?”

“Yeah,” she yells out to me. “I’ll be fine. Just make sure you’re back in time.”

“I’ll try.”

I take off and head towards the top of my apartment building. When I land, I find Cassie leaning against a pillar and looking all levels of ticked off, never a good sign from the girl whose father is Ares, the “god” of war.

“Cassie, what are you doing here?”

“I’ve been thinking…” Oh dear. “You know what’s going to happen to you in, what, a month?”

“Give or take, but yeah.”

“Then doesn’t that mean you have the power to stop it?”

“One would assume.”

Cassie pushes roughly off the column and takes an exaggerated breath. “Then why not stop it?”

As much as I love you, Cassie, I don’t have time for this. “I thought I explained this already.”

“Explain it again.” I rub the bridge of my nose as I feel a headache pushing from the back of my head, forward. I don’t know if it’s due to my weakened state or the nanites are acting up again. Probably both.

“This is bigger than me. It’s not just one Supergirl, it’s all of us.”

“You’ve said that before, but what does that mean?”

“It means…” I weigh the option of giving her the whole truth or only part of it. In the end, I know I can’t risk it so the latter it is. “It means these next events, whatever they are exactly, were set in motion long before you and I became the people we are. This is fate, this is destiny, this is divine intervention, this is what it is. That’s all I can give you.”

Cassie grits her teeth, something I haven’t seen her do in a long time, but eventually nods. “I just want you to know that what you said is complete BS. We make our own destiny.”

I shake my head but smile slightly. “The choices we make are ours, but fate is what guides us.” Cassie makes a face. I rest my hands on her arms as I watch her think very loudly. “You okay?”

Cassie makes another face, this one laced with confusion. “I think so. I had all this bravado that suddenly washed away.”

“Well, it is hard to stay mad at a pretty face like mine.”

Cassie raises an eyebrow. “Where did _that_ bit of confidence come from?”

I shrug. “You’re a bad influence. But really, you’ve always been the kind of girl who lets her feelings run her.”

“And you’re the one who barely lets her feelings run at all.” Cassie’s face flashes with regret the moment those words come out. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”

My hands fall to my sides. “You’re forgiven…and you’re right.” Cassie is surprised by this. “Maybe things will change when I get back.”

“You mean from the dead.” And the anger is back.

“More or less.” The pressure at the front of my head is getting worse. I push back on my temples and wish for the pain to go away. “Look, Cassie. I have to go. I’m in the middle of something. Can we talk later?”

“Will there be a later?” The question seems to be a mixture of sincere curiosity and worry.

“I don’t know.” Cassie nods like she understands. “I wish…” I get light-headed and lose my footing for a moment.

“Kara?”

“I’m-” And then I faint.

**Meanwhile, in Washington D.C….**

“J’onn! J’onn!” The Flash speeds into the room and yells at the Martian. “You have to come here. You have to see-”

“I know, let’s go.”

Flash pauses for a moment as Martian Manhunter floats past him to the main laboratory. “Right, telepathy.” He speeds after J’onn to see him gingerly approaching the healing chamber. Poison Ivy is keeping her distance in the shadows and typing something at the main system’s computer.

“Flash, contact Superman.”

“ _Yes_ , sir,” he says with a salute. J’onn rests his hands on the glass and uses his telepathy to calm the girl in front of him. Her eyes, wide with panic, relax. “What do you want me to tell him?” Flash asks as his focus rapidly moves between the chamber and J’onn.

“Simple. Tell him she’s awake. Tell him she’s ready for transitioning.” J’onn lets The Flash get to work as he calmly communicates to the young Kryptonian. _As I said, welcome to Earth, Kara In-Ze. Welcome to your new home._

**Kara’s POV…**

When I come to, I find myself lying on the ground with my head in Cassie’s lap. She’s stroking her fingers through my hair and humming some song. It sounds vaguely familiar but Cassie’s out-of-tune notes keep me from fully recognizing it.

“Hey.”

Cassie smiles down at me. “Hey, you scared me. What happened?”

“Nanites I’m guessing. My body is starting to reject the artificial heart. I had a nose bleed this morning.” Cassie’s fingers flex slightly in my hair but don’t stop their movement.

“How long do you have?”

“I’m hoping ‘til the heart is no longer needed.” Quiet washes over us for a moment until I speak again. “Cassandra…” It’s not often I use Cassie’s full name, so she focuses on me intently. “If you’re there when I’m gone, if possible, can you hold my hand as I go?”

I can see the request unnerves Cassie, but she nods. “Yeah, I can do that.” I sit up and stretch out my limbs. Cassie helps me stand and then I dust myself off. I have no idea what time it is. Maybe that should be a requirement for superhero uniforms. Watches.

When I turn to Cassie, she’s looking at the sky. I put my hands on her shoulders, which makes her look at me. Then I slide them up to the sides of her face and rest my forehead on hers. “Be strong, sister. And be of good faith, you’re going to need it.”

Cassie nods slightly. “Okay…Okay…” I pull back and kiss Cassie at the edge of her hairline before letting go.

“I have to go. Will you be okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. I think I need to go beat something up though.” I smile and give Cassie one last hug before telling her I really do need to go. “I know.” As she walks away, I call out to her.

“Hey Cassie, could you do something for me?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Take care of him for me.”

Cassie smiles and nods. “Of course.” As soon as she’s gone, I leave too.

I’m passing by a clock tower and see the time. “Dang-it!” I’m an hour late. I speed up and hope Kate is still there. Thankfully, it doesn’t take me very long to get to the cathedral. I spot Kate pacing on the roof. She’s wearing a green button-up underneath a jean jacket, a beret, and black jeans. Not the best looking outfit she probably has, but whatever.

I approach from above and can’t help but sneak up on her. “Nervous, are we?” Kate jumps and turns to almost run into my feat. Her gaze travels up my body as I float down. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You didn’t.”

“That’s good.” When I touch down, I smile at her. “I like your clothes. They kind of remind me of Linda’s.” This is not entirely untrue since I’ve made it my priority to give Linda a simple look.

Kate frowns a little and crosses her arms. “Oh, well that’s what _every_ girl wants to here, her being compared to _another_ girl.”

I shake my head at her comment and reply, “You should take that as a compliment. Linda is a great kid.”

“Kid? You two look like you could be the same age.”

“Technically, I’m older than Superman.” The look on Kate’s face makes me laugh so I clarify. “To make a long story short, I was trapped in a stasis pod and because I was released too late Superman ended up aging past me.”

“Wow. How much older are you than him?”

“About seventeen years.”

I watch Kate do the math in her head. Her reaction is enough to almost make me laugh again. “How old are you really?”

“I think I’m fifty-four no…fifty- _six_ years old.”

Kate makes a face. “That makes you over twenty years older than me.”

“Hey! Technically I’ve only aged to between twenty-five and thirty. In other words, I wouldn’t try to make me out to be old enough to be a member of the Modern Maturity Center yet.”

“Whatever…” When Kate winks at me, I roll my eyes and laugh again. “I thought we said no costumes.” I look down at what I’m wearing.

“I will have you know that this is _not_ a costume,” I say with my hands on my hips.

“I’m not complaining. You look hot, but I was figuring you were going to be wearing-”

“Something a bit more civilian?”

“Yeah.”

I shrug then lean against the wall. “I only wear civilian clothes when I’m undercover. Other than my Kryptonian clothing, this is all I have that’s Supergirl-ish.” I push off the wall and rotate slowly to show off the rest of the outfit. “I modified it a bit to make it look less punk-rock, but it’s still pretty out there, for me anyway.”

“Where did you get it?” Ooh, heavy question. “Kara?”

“Remember those stories about Supergirl losing it in Metropolis?”

“Vaguely.”

“For me it still feels like yesterday.” I sit on the ledge while I gather my thoughts and Kate follows suit. “Those moments were mental relapses. Years ago, Superman, Superboy, and I were kidnapped by an otherworldly villain called Darkseid. He had kidnapped Superman before but this time he went after all three of us. He wanted to brainwash us in order to create these mighty warriors. Since he succeeded with Superman before, Kal-El knew how to fight it. Superboy, Kon-El, has other powers Superman and I don’t have and he used them to fight. Sadly, I wasn’t as strong as them.” Katherine places her hand on my shoulder. I reach up and squeeze it gently.

“Darkseid succeeded in bringing out this monster that I didn’t even know existed inside of me. I…I killed people, Kate. I used my heat-vision to burn holes into them, my super-breath to break their bones, to freeze them to death. I even crushed a man’s head with my just two of my fingers. And I know you don’t want nor need to hear this but I wanted you to know where I…got the outfit from.” I look at Katherine from the corner of my eye.

A look of shock is on her face. I watch carefully as she digests what I said. Katherine tends to keep her feelings at bay, I’ve noticed. But sometimes, and I don’t know why, I think I get to see a glimpse of the real Katherine Kane. She shivers when a gust of wind blows past us and I remember why we’re up here. I stand and hold out my hand to her. She takes it and I pull her up.

“Follow me.” I take her around the corner and past the gargoyles until we reach the spot where our dinner is set up. “What do you think?” She lets go of my hand and looks around. The entire area is lit up with Chinese lanterns. In the middle of all this light are a small table and two chairs I borrowed from the owner of the French café around the corner. The table is set for two with a single carnation sitting in a small vase between the two settings.

“Kara, this is amazing!” Kate pulls me into a hug and I hold onto her until she decides to pull back. “This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for making people happy.” I step away from her and motion for Katherine to sit.“Wait here.” I head into the belfry to find the food prepared for this evening. It looks amazing and stills smell great. Only a few things need to be reheated or cooled down with my heat vision and breath. When I’m sure I didn’t just burn or freeze the food, I push the three-tier cart to the table. “I hope you like them.” I remove the first cover and keep doing this until almost all of the food has been revealed.

“Kara, how did you know I like these?”

“I’d thought I make you a smorgasbord board of food so that you could pick from whatever you wanted.”

“You made all of this?”

“What? Are you surprised I can cook?” To be honest, I only made half of this stuff. Bette helped me cook the rest. A part of me is interested in seeing who the better cook is.

“A little, I didn’t even know you ate. Batman said you and Superman primarily get your energy from the sun.”

“We do, but eating is sort of a habit we don’t feel like breaking.” I head off to the belfry again when Kate calls out to me.

“Kara, what’s your favorite food?”

I think for a bit, trying to remember when I first started eating earthling food. “Dark-chocolate-covered strawberries,” I say before getting one last surprise. “Batman let me have one of his wines for this,” I saw as I come back out. I managed to convince Alfred to get me a bottle of wine for this evening. He knew one that ‘Ms. Kane’, as he put it, would like but Bruce would not miss. Though knowing Alfred, he would still find some way to inform him that it’s missing.

 

**Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location…**

Kara takes Dr. Havens’ hands in hers and smiles down at the man. “Thank you, doctor. It takes a strong and smart man to put up with babysitting a comatose, future version of me for six months.”

“You’re welcome, Supergirl. Besides, it’s not like I did this alone.” Dr. Havens sneaks a glance at Dr. McCoy and Jason.

Kara moves on to Dr. McCoy and gives her a big smile too. The doctor goes to shake Kara’s hand but the super-powered blonde steps past it and gives her a bear-hug. After giving her a sufficiently long one, Kara shifts her head and whispers something in McCoy’s ear. The smile on the doctor’s face grows and she nods. “I promise,” she says before Kara pulls away.

When Kara finally stands in front of Jason, there are tears in her eyes. “It’s not goodbye, it’s just ‘til next time,” she tells him.

“I know.” He holds his arms out to her. She steps into them and allows herself to be enveloped in Jason’s warmth, though he would probably contest that she’s warmer than him. Unlike the first two hugs, this one drags on, neither quite willing to be the first to let go. But deep down, they both know it’s time for this Kara to head back to her timeline.

Supergirl shifts in Jason’s arms and kisses him on the neck before whispering, “May we meet again.”

Jason smiles and gives her one last squeeze. “May we meet again,” he returns before letting go completely.

“Are you sure you want to do this now, Kara?” asks Dr. Havens.

“Yes. I checked over your calculations. If I leave now, I will arrive approximately six months after my funeral.”

“Very well.” Dr. Havens goes to check the machine and calculations for the tenth time and Dr. McCoy goes to join him.

“Jay?” says Supergirl.

“Yeah?”

“Take care of her for me.” Jason doesn’t need Kara to tell him who ‘her’ is. They stand quietly for a little while until Jason speaks up.

“Where will it take you?”

“The machine? Hopefully where it did last time.”

“And where is that?”

Kara gives him a sad smile and places a hand on his neck and at the edge of his jaw. “Somewhere safe.”

“Supergirl,” calls out Dr. McCoy. “We’re ready for you.” Kara removes her hand, takes a deep breath and moves to the portal. She stands on an ‘X’ several feet from the opening.

“Here we go.” Dr. Havens types in a few commands and the portal turns on. It resembles a tunnel made up of white spider-webs.

“See you in six months, Bluebird,” Jason says with a wink.

“See you soon, Jaybird.” Kara returns the wink. And then with a deep breath, she enters the portal.

**Kara’s POV…**

It’s been a couple hours since Katherine and I started dinner. We settled down to eating the dessert I made, mint-flavored hot-cocoa for Kate and a bowl of rice-pudding for me.

“You know, Batgirl introduced this to me,” I saw while pointing at the pudding. “I was still fairly new to Earth and she was in Metropolis showing me a bit of humanity. We had stopped into a diner around ten at night. Neither of us was really hungry, so she ordered two bowls of rice-pudding. You should have seen my face the first time I tasted it. We had nothing like it on Krypton.”

“Tell me about it. Krypton, what was it like?”

“Krypton was one of the most advanced civilizations for its time. Even for an alien planet. It was thought that Krypton was on the verge of hitting its technological peak. In fact, I’m sure the only thing we hadn’t truly tested was time travel. My father Zor-El was working in the advanced technologies department. He was assigned to make the things we could already do work even faster and better. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was involved with planetary work. Basically, he was our ‘green guy’, the one who was constantly for the planet. On top of that, he was a doctor of medicine and created one of the most advanced prisons in all the galaxies; the Phantom Zone.”

I take a bite of rice-pudding before continuing. “Though primarily used by Krypton, the Phantom Zone has also been used by other planets and is in charge of harboring the most deadliest and evil of villains. He was a brilliant man, and I can see that some of that brilliance, along with the stubbornness, was inherited by Superman.” I can feel some of the rice stick to my teeth, so I take a swig of wine to wash them down.

“As interesting as it is to learn about your planet, I’m more interested in your family.”

Now _that_ was the question I was waiting for. “Okay. My father was…kind, sweet, and awful at telling jokes.” Kate smiles at this. “He cared for people, all people. Everything he said I took as gospel. You could say I was a daddy’s girl.” My hands wrap around my wine glass. “I wanted to be just like him, a scientist. My mother on the other hand did not see that in my future. Now, I’ve found that no matter what planet you’re on or galaxy you are in, a mother is still a mother. She cares deeply for you but a good majority of the time her caring comes across a little extreme. For instance, usually you pick whomever you want to marry but there is the old-fashioned way of doing it too. My mother chose the latter. You get put on a CAT-scan like machine, go through a few test, and voilà, you have a chance of being with your genetically-primed match.”

“Seriously?”

I can’t help but laugh at the Kate’s expression. “Yeah, and though I detested every moment of those tests, looking back I can see my mother was being my mother. She wanted what was best for me and thought that was the best way of doing so. I loved her and I miss her often, and the same goes for my father. Every night I say a prayer just for them. It brings a certain peace to my soul.”

When I was little, my father and I would look at the stars before I went to bed. When I got older, my mother would sometimes join us. I can feel the tears at the edges of my eyes when I look at the night sky. I use my vision to bypass the light pollution to see the stars. But not wanting to end the night on a sour note, I carefully wipe my eyes and look down at my wine. I guess I didn’t do a good job of wiping the tears away because Kate jumps out of her chair and hugs me. It takes me a tad by surprise but I let myself relax into it.

“As much as I love being here right now, it’s time for me to leave,” I tell her. It’s the truth. I have to go. I have some things to do as Linda before Diana comes and gets me. I give Kate one last tight hug before pulling away. “Don’t worry about cleaning up. A friend of mine said he would do it for me.” Alfred said he would clean up since Bette would be busy as Firebird. “Goodbye Batwoman, I do hope we meet again and soon.” I say this while looking her in the eyes before stepping up on the ledge. I take a breath and begin to float when Kate calls out to me.

“Kara!” I stop and look at her. “That look you keep giving me. What does it mean?”

I smile widely when I realize what she’s talking about. “It means I love you.” And with that, I fly away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kara In-Ze is officially awake! AAAHHH!  
> I apologize for the Once Upon A Time and The 100 references. I've been watching this guy on YouTube called Torchwood Boy who does reaction vids, and I just recently watched his.  
> We're almost there people! Two chapters left! (The next one will be long like this one.) The fact that it's taken me three years (this fic started on FanFiction) is stupid.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful people! Long time no see.
> 
> Sorry for this late update, my computer crashed (broken motherboard) and I had to deal with it. Plus, I started my last year at uni a few weeks ago.
> 
> These next two chapters are gonna be short because they were originally chapter 34, but I felt a 5000 word chapter was too long and broke them apart.

**Kara's POV…**

I fly to my apartment and change into Linda. It shouldn't take long for me to get to Katherine's apartment from here. I'm all dressed and ready to go when there's a knock on the door.

"It's practically midnight, who the heck is at my door at this time of night?" I look into the peephole but I don't see anyone.

"Linda, open up."

"Barb?" I open the door to find my best-friend scowling at me. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." What is with this night? First Cassie and now Barbara.

"I'm sort of on my way out, can we talk later?"

"No." Barbara is giving me that look that says we talk _now_ or we talk _now_. Not much room for an alternative.

I sigh and open the door for her to come in. "Okay. Let's talk." She goes past me to the living room. I shut the door and choose a spot on the couch. Barbara wheels herself to the other side of the coffee table and looks me head on. "What?"

Barbara pulls out her phone and shows me a picture that's not hard to recognize. It's a picture of me, Jason, Dr. Havens, and Dr. McCoy standing in front of the portal. "This was time-stamped a few hours ago. Would you like to explain how you can be with Jason in this picure and in Gotham at the _exact_ same time?"

"Clone?" It's a half-heart answer, which Barbara takes as such.

"Try again."

"Future version of me?" Barbara raises an eyebrow at me. "Future version of me that I brought to the present six months ago after retrieving her from Themyscira where she apparently had her funeral service?" Barbara's face goes from disbelief to concern quickly.

"What?" I nod, which only makes her grow more upset. "Funeral service, as in you died?"

"I will, in a month or so. Though odds are I have even less time than that."

"How do you die?"

"I don't know exactly. All I know is I get stabbed through the heart."

Barbara looks at her phone, at me, then at her phone again. "If this is the version that died, how is she alive?"

I tap the spot over my heart. "When I brought her to the present, we discovered she had an artificial heart. Dr. Havens, the man pictured, said I had to give her mine and he would give me a new one."

"The one that would eventually get destroyed."

I nod. "Seems like it. Took him a little while to get through to me. I thought he was crazy. But he showed me things that were familiar to me. Things that convinced me."

"Like what?"

"I can't say. Or _won't_ say. But it was enough to convince me to retrieve her, or me, and do the surgery."

Barbara curls her hand around her chin and frowns. "Batman was right," she says as she pulls her hand away. "You were showing signs of weakening. I thought it might be stress or something else, but it was this," she says the last part while pointing at my chest.

"It's not strong enough to help keep my body at the levels it needs to be. There have been a number of close calls. I have nanites in my body too. They've been taking care of complications when they can." I lean back on the couch. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you this, Barbara. I actually had no intention of telling anyone. But Jason found out through some digging and so did Wonder Girl. Except for the two doctors and Martian Manhunter, you are now the third person to know what's going to happen next."

"What about Bruce?"

"He knows about the nanites but I don't think much else."

"I down know if you can say that anymore. Batman took this picture. He's going to have questions for you."

"He already does."

"What are you going to tell him?"

"Nothing. Too many people know already. I can't risk the future being changed."

"It's too late for that, Linda. Things have already changed." Babs rests her elbows on the arms of her chair and looks intently at me. "I think you should tell him." The statement surprises me. Well, maybe not the statement but the conviction behind it. "He should know. He could help."

I shake my head. "No. I can't. It's too…I just can't."

"It's too what, Linda?'

My glasses are slipping down so I take them off. "It's just a feeling I have. No more people can know. Please, Barbara. Don't tell Bruce."

Her shoulders relax and her bottom lip curls into her mouth. "Okay," she finally says. "I won't say anything."

"Thank you."

"What do you need from me going forward?" Leave it to Babs to want to make a game plan.

"Not sure. I really don't know what happens next. Not the details anyway."

"Didn't you talk to your future self?"

"No," I say while taking out a cloth to clean my glasses. "She's been asleep most of this time. And Dr. McCoy, the woman pictured, thought it would be best if I knew as little as possible. We were both afraid any information I learned could affect the path." I laugh as I remember something Ailish said.

"What?"

"Just remembering something. Dr. McCoy figured even if I _did_ know the details, it still wouldn't change the future. Some things are just meant to be."

"You really believe that?"

I shrug. "I don't know yet. Ask me after I come back from the dead." When I put my glasses back on, I notice the time. "I really do have to go, Babs."

"Okay." She heads to the door and I open it for her. "Hey, Linda."

"Yeah?"

"You know you can talk with me about anything, right?"

I smile and lean down to hug her. "I know, Babs. I know." I kiss the top of her head and pull away. "I'm sorry I forgot." As I watch her leave for the elevator, she waves goodbye one last time and I wave back. And now that I've been visited by one red-head, it's time for me to go visit another.

 

**Katherine's POV…**

Since the elevator in my building is broken, I take the stairs up to my apartment. Before I even reach the door, I can see someone sitting in front of it.

"Linda?" Her head pops up and she smiles at me. Once I reach my door, she is already standing up with her bag on her shoulder. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I didn't like how we left things last time and wanted to talk with you about it. I didn't realize you'd be out so late." Earlier, I figured Linda would be the friend cleaning up Kara's and my dinner, but I guess I was wrong.

"How long have you been waiting here?"

Linda runs a hand through her hair and shrugs. "Not sure." As I unlock the door, I use the time to give Linda an once-over. She's wearing black flip-flops (which is odd considering how chilly it is tonight), a pair of dark-blue jeans torn at the knees, a red flannel shirt, and her worn-out tan jacket. Her dark brown hair looks more unruly than usual and she has a new pair of glasses hanging off the edge of her nose. I open the door and let Linda precede me so I can close and lock the door behind us. After I lock the door, I turn and find her standing awkwardly in the middle of my apartment.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." She gives me a crooked smile then sits down on my couch. I go to my bedroom and drop-off my coat, beret, shoes, and purse. When I walk into the living room, Linda is reclining on the couch. Her jacket is draped over the back of it and her bare feet are propped up on the couch's arm closest to me. "You look quite at home." Linda wiggles deeper into the couch and crosses her arms.

"You have a very comfortable couch. Besides, I've slept here before so it's not like I'm a stranger here."

"Point taken, do you want anything to eat?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"How about anything to drink?"

"Kate, I'm fine really. But if it'll make you feel better, I'll have a glass of water." I go to the kitchen and pour Linda a glass while I make myself a cup of black tea with a touch of honey. I grab the two drinks and walk into the living.

"Are you sure this is all you want?" I ask while handing her the water.

"I'm fine. Thank you though." With Linda stretched out on the couch, I decide to sit in my recliner. Looking at her long body stretched out, shoulders against one arm while her feet are propped up on the other, I'm reminded of how tall Linda actually is.

"Geez, how tall are you?"

"Almost five-foot-nine, why?"

"That's ridiculous," I can tell Linda is laughing at what I said because her glass is on her stomach and there are vibrations shaking the water.

"If you think I'm tall, you should see my friend Diana. She's over six feet." The smile on my lips disappears as soon as this Diana is mentioned again. Linda notices. "Kate, you okay?"

I decide changing the subject slightly would be a better option that answering her. "How did you meet Diana?" The question catches her by surprise. She places her water on the coffee table and shifts so that she's sitting with her body facing mine.

"How did I meet her…?" She taps her right index finger against her lips several times before continuing her thoughts. "I guess we officially met at a dinner being held in Wonder Woman's honor. Wonder Woman had made her debut and Diana was there with her now boyfriend Steve Trevor. He's the liaison between the JLA and the US government. I was chilling out on the balcony when Diana came out to catch a breath of fresh air. That's when we met. Later on, we had another run-in in New York, and after that we became close friends."

"She's a New Yorker?"

"Technically she's Greek. You know, has that whole black hair and olive skin thing going for her." Great, I'm competing with an Amazon…wait, boyfriend?

"Wait. Did you say she has a boyfriend?"

"Great job with the paying attention Katherine, and yes, she has a boyfriend." The next thing I say comes out before I have the chance to stop myself.

"What about you?"

Linda chooses not to answer my question immediately and opts for taking a long sip from her water. "What about me?" I don't have to read minds to know Linda knows _exactly_ what I'm inferring.

"Are you dating anyone?" Linda smiles softly then sets her glass on the table.

"No, but I know someone who likes me." I can feel my heart beat faster.

"Is it someone I know?" Linda doesn't say anything but stands up and walks over to me. My heart is beating like a hummingbird's as she slides in the chair with me; the side of our legs, thighs, hips, and shoulders fully against each other's.

"Depends…"

"Depends on what?"

Linda locks eyes with me. "Depends on if she's willing to tell me how she feels."

Busted.

I close my eyes and take a breath. After picturing countless different ways about how this would go, this was definitely not on the list. Just as I'm about to open my eyes, I feel a slight pressure on my left temple. I can't help as my eyes flutter open but all I see are dark curls.

Linda pulls away from me and smiles the softest and most beautiful smile I have ever seen. "I know Kate. I've known for a while."

"H-How?" I barely whisper out.

"I'm reporter, remember?" She runs her fingers through several strands of my hair then puts her right arm around my shoulders to pull me in. It feels like I'm cuddling with a warm teddy-bear; a fit, drop-dead gorgeous teddy-bear. "So, why don't you tell me how your day went and we'll go from there." And that is exactly what I do.

 

**Linda's POV…**

It isn't long until Kate's asleep. We talked for hours about things; mostly she told me about her day, which of course included her dinner with Supergirl. It was interesting hearing it from her point of view. For instance, I didn't know the carnation was her favorite flower; I just picked it at random. Before she falls asleep, I tell her I would let myself out. I say goodbye, kiss her on the forehead, and leave her room. Before leaving the apartment though, I pull the card I got her out of my jacket and write her as honest of a note as I can muster. When I'm done, I take in her apartment one last time and leave.

Not wanting to go home just yet, I float to the roof of her apartment building. I'm staring at the stars when I drop to my knees. The concrete cracks under them as I ball my hands into fists and press my forehead to the ground.

"I…I don't know what to do. I know what's next but I'm so scared. I know I make it out alive, but what if that's not true? What if I die? I don't know what's next. I don't know what's next." My hands stretch out and curl into the roof. "Please, God, help me. I'm so scared and I don't know what to do."

"Never figured you for the praying type."

I recognize the voice before I even get a good look at her. "Selina? What are you doing here?"

"A certain 'question' found me and told me I was needed in Gotham. I was just re-acquainting myself with the city when I saw you." Of course, I forgot.

"Is it how you remember?"

Selina scoffs and crosses her arms. "Oh yeah, just as broken as when I left it, except with a few more scars from trying to heal."

I stand and wipe the crumbled roof from my hands and knees. " _You_ , on the other hand, have _definitely_ changed. I never expected you to find religion though."

"I wouldn't say I've 'found religion'. I'm just-"

"Talking to God?" she says with a raised eyebrow. I slip my hands in my pockets and shrug.

"Something like that."

Selina walks towards the edge of the roof and stops a few feet from it, just enough where someone in the alley probably wouldn't see her. "Some say he doesn't answer prayers, others say he does." She turns to me. "What were you asking for?"

I ball my hands in my pockets and move towards her. "Not sure really, help I guess."

"For what?"

"It's kind of personal."

Selina smiles then turns away from me. "I've been watching you, on the news. You've been busy this past year."

"Huh," I take my hands out of my pockets as I join Selina near the roof's edge and cross my arms, "I guess I have. A girl's gotta keep busy, doesn't she?"

"Idle hands are the Devil's play things." She looks at me out of the corner of her eye.

" _Now_ who's getting religious?" Selina lets out a light laugh and shifts herself to fully face me.

"How's Bruce?"

I was wondering when she was going to bring him up. "He's fine. Been busy with Intergang and Robin."

"And how are the two of you?" The movement is subtle, but I can see Selina's right hand tighten around her left bicep and her arms tense slightly.

"We've…had our moments. But nothing's official. Heck, it may _never_ be official." Her grip loosens and she makes direct eye contact with me.

"What makes you say that?"

"Experience. I think…I think Bruce and Linda are good in theory but maybe not in execution."

"Have you two tried?" This is big of Selina. It's not easy to talk to someone who is romantically interested in the person you are interested as well.

"To be honest, no. Things keep, coming up. Look, Selina, it's getting late…or early and contrary to rumor I _do_ need sleep."

"I understand."

"Good night, Selina."

"Good night, Linda." Just as I get to the fire escape, Selina calls out to me. "Hey Linda."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sure God heard your prayer."

"I'm sure He did too. The question is, how will He answer?" When I step on the ladder, Selina calls out again. "Hey Linda, take care of yourself."

I smile. "I will, and Selina? Make sure you do the same."

Selina smiles. "I will."

With each step down the ladder, I think about what I need to do before I leave Gotham. There's a lot but I know I can get it done. My foot slips on one of the rail. "Maybe some sleep first _then_ work." The metal bar my right is gripping groans when I push it back into place. "Yeah, sleep. Sleep first then work."


	35. Chapter 35

**Katherine's POV…**

When I wake up, I'm in my bed and dressed in my pajamas. When I look at the clock, it's shining 6:00 am. I was certain I wouldn't get up until after ten since I went to bed so late but I guess I'm meant to open the book shop today. I shuffle into the kitchen and start the percolator. Just as I turn to go back and get dressed for the day, I find a card sitting on the counter. On the front is a picture with different red-heads, it says "They say by 2056 redheads will be completely absorbed into the gene pool…" When I open the card it says, "…so I guess I should spend as much time with you as possible." I smile at the gesture and notice Linda wrote a note for me opposite the printed message.

_Dear Katherine,_

_Last night (or technically this morning) was one of the best times I've had in a long while. I'm afraid it will be one of our last for a long time. My flight for Qurac is being pushed forward for this afternoon. I wish we could spend more time together but my duty to the people who read the Daily Planet comes first. I promise to see you one more time before leaving. I'll be thinking of you every day while I'm gone and I hope you'll be thinking of me just as much._ _  
_ _Always,_

_Linda_

I let the tears fall down my cheek without bothering to wipe them away. And I'm not sure if it's because I'm sad Linda is leaving or overwhelmed with how much she cares for me. I've never met anyone like her, and I'm sure I never will. While I prepare the coffee, I reread the note until I have it memorized; from the words on the page to the way she wrote each letter. There is nothing I want to forget.

After I eat my breakfast, I get dressed in a pair of jeans, a Boston Homicide softball shirt, sneakers, and my Ray Ban sunglasses. I brush my teeth, grab my keys, and take off for the shop but not before I set the card next to the picture of my sister Beth and me when we were little.

When I get to the store, I park behind it and go in the back entrance. I take the needed cash out of the safe and get ready to let people in; though it's not like people are lining up to buy books. I pull up the blinds and flip over the open/close sign, and with a flick of the lock I wait for the few customers who will come by today to walk in the door.

It's almost 10:30 when my first customer walks in. A woman dressed in a naval officer's uniform comes in without saying a word to me and floats over to the shelves. She's tall with black hair and prescription glasses that should have died in the 80's. I watch her walk back and forth amongst the books for what feels like a while when Linda pops her head in the door.

"Hey Kate." I go to reply but Linda keeps talking. "Have you seen anyone walk in here the past ten minutes? I'm supposed to be-"

"Linda! Back here!" yells the officer.

"Never-mind." Linda disappears in the stacks with the woman who came in earlier. I can see them move around and every so often, hear a giggle or a loud outburst from Linda. I don't know who this woman is but I have a pretty good idea; Yeoman Diana Prince. I turn on the television and turn the channel to PGN news to distract myself. Three news segments and the weather later, Linda and Diana make their way to the counter with a stack of twelve books.

"Wow, doing some light reading?" Linda smiles at my attempt at humor but Diana doesn't move a facial muscle.

"Linda suggested I read these." The majority of the books were history related, mainly US history while a few of them were crime novels.

"I didn't know you were a history buff, Linda?"

Linda runs a hand through her curls (which look just as unkempt as they were last night) then pushes her glasses up her nose. "People try so hard to learn about other cultures when there is so much rich and beautiful history here. I was thinking of majoring in US history at Metropolis University but plans change and I landed with minoring in it instead and majoring in English."

"Don't forget about that second minor in journalism, Lin."

"You have a nickname for her?" I blurt out before Linda can comment on what was said.

"Of course I do," answers Yeomen Prince. "She calls me Di and I call her Lin. I thought it was a fair trade." A 'fair trade'? Could this woman _be_ anymore dull?

"When did I start calling you that?" asks Linda. "I know it wasn't when we first met."

Yeomen Prince answers immediately. "On the island, remember? It was your first time there and we were walking on the beach and it just slipped out." Linda smiles knowingly and bumps Yeomen Prince in the shoulder with a book in her hand I didn't see before.

"I remember. I was _so_ scared too. I thought you were going to pummel me. But you just smiled, told me you liked it, and we moved on."

"Why were you scared I was going to hit you?" Linda shrugs then pushes her glasses up her nose again.

"Everyone called you Diana. Calling you something else felt like I was degrading you or lowering your authority. Looking back, I know I was being a stupid kid but you can't blame me. You were intimidating. Still are." I'm getting tired of Linda and Yeomen Prince acting like I'm not here, so I clear my throat which brings their attention back to me. "Sorry Kate, Diana and I haven't seen each other in about a month."

I ignore her and start ringing up the books. I'm not sure if Linda is surprised or not by my reaction but I don't care. I don't like being ignored. While I enter the prices of the books, Linda and Yeomen Prince comment on the news.

"I spoke with Cat yesterday," says Linda. "She wondered why I kept the Colonel Kane article from Perry."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that something better came up and that it was unnecessary to cause such uproar over something not that important. Besides, I have this personal connection with his daughter and you know me. If it's _too_ personal, I don't let it go to print." I don't need to look up from the register to know Linda is staring at me as she says this.

"What did Perry say?"

"Once I sent him my Intergang article, he cooled down."

"Smooth."

"That's me, Linda 'Smooth' Danvers." Just as the words leave her mouth, she steps back and almost trips over her feet. Yeomen Prince laughs at her and I do my best to keep the giggles back.

"Oh, so smooth like gravel." It is obvious humor is not Yeomen Prince's strong suit. I finish ringing up the books and tell her the price. She hands me the money and I give her back the change. "I'll see you outside," she says to Linda. As soon as the door closes, Linda slides fully into view and leans on the counter.

"I have something for you. I noticed it wasn't in your shelves and thought you might like it." Linda hands me the book that was in her hands. The thin book is the complete collection of Shakespearean sonnets. "I was perusing through your poetry section and all I could find was Walt Whitman and Sappho. You really need to widen your range of books, love." I take a deliberate breath, hidden as best as I can, with Linda's use of the pet name.

"I-I will keep that in mind."

"Good," says Linda with a smile. "I even circled my favorite one, or at least the first one I ever memorized."

"Quote it to me." Linda is surprised by my outburst. I seem to having a lot of those today; at least for me anyway.

"You sure?" I shake my head yes and Linda clears her throat before speaking. When she starts off, her voice is low and raspy. I've never heard her speak this way before.

"My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun,  
coral is far more red than her lips red.  
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun,  
if hair be wires black wires grow on her head.  
I have seen roses damasked red and white  
yet no such roses see I in her cheeks.  
And in some perfume is there more delight  
than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.  
I love to hear her speak yet well I know that music hath a far more pleasing sound.  
I grant I never saw a goddess go,  
my mistress when she walks reads on the ground.  
And yet by Heaven I think my love is rare,  
as any she belied with false compare."

Breathe, remember to breathe Kate. Linda, who with each phrase leaned in closer and closer to me, pulls back with a crooked smile that ends with a wink when she stops moving.

"I'm not one for quoting poetry to people. Consider yourself one of the few." I blink a few times and nod my head. Linda's smile stretches into a full grin and she taps a short cadence on the counter. "Did you see the card?"

"Yes, I loved it." I can feel the tears welling up behind my eyes but I work to keep them back. I don't want Linda to see me cry. The look in Linda's eyes flashes that familiar softness for a moment but disappears just as quickly.

Linda suddenly leans over the counter and grabs the back of my head to pull me towards her. She gives me a long and intense kiss on the forehead, as if she will never see me again, and lets me go. I watch her as she walks to the exit. When she opens the door, she pauses for a moment then halfway turns back to me. "Oh, and Katherine…"

I snap out of my daze and focus on her. "What is it?"

Linda tilts her head slightly to the right and smiles softly at me. "I love you too." And just like that, she gives me a wink and leaves the shop.

 

**Linda's POV…**

Diana is standing outside and smiles at me when I close the shop's door. "That Katherine Kane doesn't like, does she?" she asks as we move away from the store.

"It's not personal." I motion for us to walk. "She's been dealing with some things."

"One of them wouldn't be feelings for you, would it?"

I take Diana's books from her when we reach her car. "That obvious, huh."

"It is very rare when things escape me. Are the feelings mutual?"

I shake my head as I put the books in the back seat. "No, she's my friend." I open the car door. "Nothing more. And I hope she begin to see a friend in me as well."

Diana smiles and pats the top of her car. "I am sure she already does." We get in the rental. After we pull away from the curb and turn down the street to go to my apartment, Diana speaks. "Are you ready? Tensions are high in Qurac."

"I'm ready. I just hope-" Diana lifts her right hand to stop me and answers her commlink.

"Okay. I understand. We'll be on our way soon."

"What is it?"

"Plans have changed. The Watchtower picked up on an energy shift in space. They have been monitoring it and noticed that it is moving."

"Where?"

"Not where, but over what. According to J'onzz it has maintained a direct line over Themyscira."

My heart stops beating. "That can't be a coincidence."

"No, I doubt that it is.

"What about Qurac?" I wipe my hands on my lap and notice they're shaking so I curl them into fists.

"Nightwing is going to handle it with The Outsiders. Our priorities have changed."

"Okay." I take a breath and fold my hands in my lap. They're still shaking so I tighten my grip.

"Kara, are all right? You're shaking."

"I'm fine, Di. I just suddenly got a bad feeling is all."

Diana smiles softly and rests her hand on mine. "Do not worry. Whatever is going to happen next, we can handle it."

I nod and try to relax. Diana removes her hand so she can focus on driving. So it seems the time table has moved up. Oh, Di. I pray you are right. Because what's going to happen next might just be one for the books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. Thanks for roughing it out with me with this thing. If there are scenes you felt were rushed or you want to know the details of, let me know. The next series, which will be a sequel to this one, will have flashback. There are already a few scenes near the end that I'm going to expand on.
> 
> This story is essentially done (THANK THE LORD!) but there's an epilogue coming soon that will also work as a pseudo-prologue for the next series.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this super long series. I apologize for taking 3 years (GOOD GRIEF) to finish this sucker. Now all I want do is take a break and work on some other stuff.
> 
> Oh, and one more thing...
> 
> ...
> 
> SUPERGIRL IS PREMIERING IN ALMOST A MONTH! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!


	36. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter the final chapter of this story. (Finished it a lot sooner than I thought I would.) Thanks for letting me tell it and for going through all the craziness that happens when a story is dragged on this long. You've all been swell. :]  
> (Y'all here on AO3 are lucky. You didn't have to experience the three year drag the FF peeps did. Unless you're on both.)

**PGN News Center, Metropolis…**

The news room buzzes with the movement of cameramen, technicians, and the like as they get to their final places before show time. Marcus, the intern in charge of the teleprompter, is doing his fifth spellcheck when someone calls out to him.

"Hey, Marcus." He flinches but relaxes when he sees Jimmy approaching with a pretty girl.

"Hey, Jimmy. How are you? Who's your friend?"

The girl reaches out to him with a smile and says, "I'm Veronica Lake, a friend of Linda's."

"Linda? Oh, you mean Danvers. Yeah, she's awesome. A friend of hers is a friend of mine and all that crap."

" _Marcus_." He sees the look in Jimmy's eyes and let's go of Veronica's hand.

"I have to get back to work. Maybe after the news we can take the time to know each other better." The smile on his face drops. "I didn't mean for that to come out that way."

Veronica's face relaxes from her look of slight repulsion and nods. "I'm glad."

Jimmy leads her away with a shake of his head. "He's not usually like that. I think the stress of the teleprompter is getting to him."

"I understand. Thanks for showing me around by the way. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Linda gave me explicit instructions if you were to come to Metropolis while she's out of town."

"It's very sweet of her."

"Yeah…" Jimmy says with a smile as he takes a bagel off the Kraft's food table before picking it apart to eat. "I know she wanted me to show you around the Daily Planet but I figured watching a life newscast would be more interesting." Veronica grabs a handful of grapes and pops one in her mouth.

The two look around the room, which is starting to settle, except for a PA (personal assistant) running around. "Has anyone seen Cat? She's not in her dressing room."

"Relax, I'm right here." The blonde whirlwind in heels flies past the girl and makes a beeline for the food table. Jimmy and Veronica take larges steps from it to make room for her. "Hello, James. Who's your friend?"

"Hello, Cat. This is Veronica, a friend of Linda's." Cat throws a glance at Veronica and nods as she drops a straw in a bottle of water.

"You're Linda Lake's kid cousin, aren't you?" Cat rests a hand on her hip and takes a sip of her drink.

"How'd you know?"

The straw falls from her mouth. "She had a picture of you on her desk. The only one." Cat quickly hands her water to the flustered PA. "How does my make-up look?" she asks Veronica.

"Flawless."

Cat smiles widely and pulls her shoulders back. "Of course it is." She pulls the paper collar off her jacket and hands it to the PA, who lets out a sigh, looks at Jimmy and Veronica, and then goes off to her dark corner to wait until the broadcast is done.

"My cousin always said Cat Grant was a force to be reckoned with, I just didn't realize how much."

Jimmy smiles and crosses his arms as they watch Cat get situated in her anchor chair. "Don't let her southern belle beauty fool you. Cat is a highly intelligent woman with a nose for news and a backbone of steel."

"That's quite the combo."

"It wasn't easy to get to where she is, she had to convince a lot of people that she's more than gossip and fluff pieces."

Veronica smirks. "My kind of woman." Jimmy raises an eyebrow as he glances over at the young woman. He shakes his head again then reaches over to tap her on the arm.

"Come on, let's find a better place to watch."

They pick a corner near the PA who is now holding a clipboard to her chest as she watches the make-up artists do final touches on the anchors. "Evenin' Olsen. How's it goin'?" Hank Slater, a retired cop who turned "inside man" for The Daily Planet plants himself next to Jimmy. "Heard from Danvers yet?"

The tall ginger shakes his head. "No one but Perry has heard from her since she arrived in Qurac."

"Figured. Probably busy with all that political turmoil. Just wanted to ask. My brother-in-law lives there and told me there was an earthquake that hit the southern tip hard. Alotta people died."

"Linda should be fine then. She's up north near the capital."

"Good."

The group in the corner watch the countdown until the beginning of the newscast. There are 15 seconds left, then ten, then seven, and then one.

"Good Evening," starts the male anchor, "I'm Harold Hanes."

"And I'm Cat Grant. On tonight's news…"

 

**Katherine Kane's book store, Gotham City...**

Bette Kane leans against the counter and watches the news as her cousin works to take care of her customers. "Bette, as much as I appreciate your moral support, it doesn't help me with this crowd."

"Not my fault, _you're_ the one who wanted a sale during 'Gotham Day'."

"I know that, but _you're_ the one who said she would help me if I did this. And you're not."

Bette lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine." She kisses her cousin's head before she practically dances around the counter. "I'll go see what I can do."

"Thank you."

"Excuse me. This just in…" The change in pace on the TV screen stops the blonde Kane woman in her tracks. Despite the noise of irritation from Kate, she runs up to the television to turn the volume up.

"Bette, turn that down. I'm-"

" _Shh._ " Bette watches Cat listen to whatever is being said in her earpiece then smiles when Cat does the same. "News has just come in from our JLA correspondents. Fighting on Themyscira has ended!" Katherine's shop breaks out in cheering. Even the red-head herself can't help but smile. When Cat begins to speak again, Bette yells for everyone to shut-up. "The being called Darkseid has left and so has his army. However…" The smile on her face falls away and she freezes on the screen. Her fellow anchor flicks his eyes over to her as he struggles to keep his smile up.

The silence on-screen seeps into the store as everyone stops to see what has rattled the unflappable Cat Grant. Throughout the city and wherever PGN news is being broadcasted, audiences are pressing pause on what they're doing to watch the television.

"Um…there's…" Cat takes in a breath and shakes out of her shock, which it seems the reporter is experiencing.

"What's she doing?" asks a patron.

"Beats me, but whatever is being spoken to her upset her," says another. "I've never seen her like this before."

"Like I said, Darkseid is gone. However…" Cat clears her throat, "no battle is without loss. I have also been informed that three members of the JLA were killed in action." Murmurs sound through the store. "Blue Beetle was killed while defending a group of marines. No details on how he died have been released."

"I liked him." Bette turns to see a man in a military uniform.

"The second person is The Flash. Details of his death have not been released." An even louder murmur cuts through the store accompanied with gasps and a few cries. When Cat folds her hands and straightens her back the crowd grows silent again. "The final hero to fall," Cat's voice cracks on 'hero' so she clears it, "is Supergirl." Kate feels her heart drop. The air in the room, once filled with chatting customers, grows still. She grips the edge of the counter and leans heavily on it. Bette notices and rests a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

A woman at the counter leans on it too and rests her head on folded hands. "Please God. Please let this not be true."

Cat continues. "According to our sources, she died saving the life of a fellow JLA member. No other details were released." From there, the other anchor takes over, though his plastered smile is no longer on his face.

"Can we turn the television off?" Bette looks at the teary-eyed child in her mother's arms and nods at her request. When she does so, a silence hangs in the room. Bette has never been in a room this quiet before, not since September 11th.

"Do you think…?" A number of people jump at the break in silence, even Kate. "I know we got quite a shock from what we heard, but is it okay if we have a moment of silence for the fallen?" The military man is the one to speak. A handful of nods are enough for him to bow his head, which is followed by others. Some people even hold hands.

Bette looks over at Kate to see her staring into the distance with a blank expression.

She reaches out for the red-head's hand and holds on tight. Though Kate doesn't show any reaction, she does return the grip. It would be enough…for now.

 

**Coming Soon…**

 

**Red, White, and Blonde**

Supergirl is dead. The world is in mourning. The lives of all who loved her have been changed forever.

This series follows Katherine Kane (Batwoman), Bruce Wayne (Batman), Barbara Gordon (Oracle), Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), and other characters known to the DC Universe and close to Supergirl.

Follow them as they mourn the loss of someone they loved and how they begin to face the challenges ahead of them. Watch as Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) and her secrets are exposed. See why the death of Supergirl was not only an important event for this universe but for every universe that has a Supergirl.

Look for _Red, White, and Blonde Part One: Red_ in the Batman section.

**Author's Note:**

> If you are interested in reading Gettin' By. Try to contact me and I'll do my best to send it via email.


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